The interspecific interactions of apex predators are integral to the function of ecological communities, but most studies have focused on understanding their top down effects. Kleptoparasitism (the stealing of procured food) by dominant scavengers can have negative effects on populations and behaviors of apex predators. We captured 7 pumas (Puma concolor) and fitted them with GPS collars to investigate potential kill sites (n = 352), some of which we monitored with camera traps (n = 58). We analyzed whether observed kleptoparasitism by American black bears (Ursus americanus) affected puma energetics and foraging behavior. We found that black bears were the most frequent scavenger of puma kills (72.4%), and we documented bears scavenging puma kills during every month. The top model for bear detection of puma kills included prey size, temperature, and canopy cover, with bears more likely to scavenge from adult black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) carcasses in warmer temperatures and under dense canopy cover. When black bear scavenging occurred, pumas spent 22% less time at their kill and incurred energetic losses. In response, pumas shortened their inter-kill intervals by 1.3 days thus increasing their kill rates. Our results demonstrate how a dominant scavenger directly mediates the foraging behavior of an apex predator. These results suggest that community interactions do not necessarily start at the top in top-down systems, and the effects of predators on prey populations can only be understood within their respective ecological communities.

尖顶天敌的种间相互作用是生态群落功能不可或缺的，但是大多数研究都集中在了解其自上而下的作用。占主导地位的清道夫的寄生性寄生虫（偷来的食品）可能会对先头动物的种群和行为产生负面影响。我们捕获了7头美洲狮（美洲狮），并为其安装了GPS项圈以调查潜在的杀伤点（n = 352），我们用相机陷阱对其进行了监视（n = 58）。我们分析了美洲黑熊（Ursus americanus）是否观察到kleptoparasitism）受影响的美洲豹能量和觅食行为。我们发现黑熊是美洲狮杀死的最频繁的清除剂（72.4％），并且我们记录了熊在每个月中清除美洲狮杀死的情况。熊检测美洲狮杀死的顶级模型包括猎物的大小，温度和树冠覆盖，熊更可能从成年黑尾鹿（Odocoileus hemionus columbianus）中清除）的尸体在较热的温度下和密集的树冠下。当发生黑熊清除运动时，美洲狮杀死它们的时间减少了22％，并因此遭受了巨大的损失。作为回应，美洲狮将其杀灭间隔缩短了1.3天，从而提高了其杀灭率。我们的研究结果表明，占优势的清除剂如何直接介导先端捕食者的觅食行为。这些结果表明，社区间的互动并不一定从上而下的系统中的顶部开始，并且掠食者对猎物种群的影响只能在其各自的生态社区内才能理解。