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Nyala Woodland Vigilance Lab (2D)

A 2D behavioral-ecology simulation of real nyala herd vigilance: per-capita scanning falls as herd size grows yet collective predator detection rises (the many-eyes / dilution effect), woodland thicket density trades concealment for sight lines, and bulls without antlers to lose favour denser cover while hornless-look ewes and calves hold the open glades where the herd watches best.

Animals & Their World2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

Details

CategoryAnimals & Their World

RenderingCanvas 2D

DifficultyModerate

Target FPS60

ControlsSliders for herd size, woodland thicket density, bull ratio and vigilance-coordination efficiency; a Leopard stalks button that spawns a predator whose detection is resolved by a live per-individual probability roll each tick; and a Reset session button.

nyalavigilancemany-eyes effectherd behaviorpredator detectionhabitat segregationwoodland2D

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This 2D companion replaces the 3D lab's scripted herd-to-food movement with the actual constraint that shapes a wild nyala herd's day: predator vigilance economics. Herd size, woodland thicket density, the bull-to-ewe ratio and how well the herd coordinates its scanning all feed a live per-individual detection roll against a stalking leopard — so a bigger herd genuinely spots trouble sooner even though each animal personally scans less, dense cover genuinely trades sight lines for concealment, and horned bulls genuinely gravitate to the thicket while hornless ewes and calves hold the open glades, exactly as documented nyala habitat-use asymmetry predicts.

⚙ Under the hood

A 2D behavioral-ecology simulation of real nyala herd vigilance: per-capita scanning falls as herd size grows yet collective predator detection rises (the many-eyes / dilution effect), woodland thicket density trades concealment for sight lines, and horned bulls favour denser cover while hornless ewes and calves hold the open glades where the herd watches best.

nyalavigilancemany-eyes effectherd behaviorpredator detectionhabitat segregationwoodland2D

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install