Predation is a key theme in ecology. Predators capture, kill andconsume their prey, which affects the balance of ecosystems.As ecologists, Lima and Dill succinctly said in 1990, ‘beingkilled greatly decreases future fitness’. Seems straightforward,right? However, what happens when predators and preyinteract without a lethal event occurring? What exactly doesthat mean? Imagine hiking through Yellowstone NationalPark knowing there was a bear on the trail. The prospect ofa potential predation event would be quite stressful, right?We would be expending energy activating our hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and releasing glucocorticoids. What?Simply put, we would be stressed out! However, this energycould be used for growth and fitness instead of the expensive‘fight or flight’ stress response.
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