What is an introduced predator?

Introduced species (sometimes called alien or exotic species), are plant and animal species living outside their native distributional range. This may be because of migration, accidental release, or deliberate introduction. The term is often used to refer to species introduced by humans.

When this happens, the introduced species may also become invasive, meaning they have a negative impact on the environment, the economy, or human health.

Predation is a biological interaction where a predator, an organism that is hunting, pursues and kills another organism, its prey, to feed on it.

Therefore, an introduced predator is a predator that has been introduced to a new environment outside its native range, either intentionally or unintentionally, by human activities. Introduced predators can have significant ecological impacts on the native prey populations and the overall ecosystem structure and functioning.