Persistence hunting (sometimes called
endurance hunting) is a
hunting technique in which hunters, who may be slower than their prey over short distances, use a combination of
running,
walking, and
tracking to
pursue prey until it is
fatigued or
overheated. A persistence hunter must be able to
run a long distance over an extended period of time. The strategy is used by a variety of
canids such as
African wild dogs, and by human
hunter-gatherers.
Humans are the only surviving
primate species that practices persistence hunting. In addition to a capacity for
endurance running, human hunters have comparatively little hair, which makes
sweating an effective means of cooling the body.
[1] Meanwhile,
ungulates and other mammals may need to pant to cool down enough,
[1] which also means that they must slow down if not remain still.
[2]
Persistence hunting is believed to have been one of the earliest hunting strategies used by humans.
[2][3] It is still used effectively by the
San people in the
Kalahari Desert, and by the
Rarámuri people of Northwestern Mexico.