一項發表於《當代生物學》的最新研究指出，在擁有健康美洲獅（又稱山獅）族群的地區，涉及鹿的車禍事故可大幅減少高達76%。過去一世紀以來，由於缺乏掠食者與狩獵限制，美國鹿群數量暴增，導致相關的交通事故也隨之攀升。

研究團隊在華盛頓州奧林匹克半島收集數據，發現美洲獅偏好在森林邊緣與靠近道路的區域伏擊獵物。這種掠食威脅迫使鹿群改變行為，選擇遠離道路並退居森林深處，從而大大降低了牠們暴露在車流中的風險。

這種動物行為的改變帶來了更安全的駕駛環境，該地區五年內的車禍數量明顯下降。然而，專家也指出這項研究主要針對夏季數據，未來仍需進一步觀察在秋季鹿群交配季節時，這種行為改變的效應是否依然顯著。

A recent study published in Current Biology reveals that car accidents involving deer can decrease by up to 76 percent in areas with healthy cougar populations. Over the past century, the lack of predators and hunting limits have caused deer populations to surge in the US, leading to a steady increase in related traffic accidents.

By collecting data on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, researchers found that cougars prefer to ambush their prey near forest edges and roads. This predatory threat forces deer to change their behavior, moving away from roads and retreating deeper into the woods, which significantly reduces their exposure to traffic.

This change in animal behavior has created safer driving conditions, resulting in a substantial drop in collisions over a five-year period. However, experts note that the study primarily focuses on summer data, and further research is needed to determine if this behavioral effect remains significant during the fall mating season.