Humans have long been called 'super-predators' for hunting animals at massive scales. But a new study by the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), shows it's not that simple. The research, published in Ecology Letters, reviewed 30 years of data on how wild animals react to people. Animals clearly get afraid of lethal humans like hunters and fishers. "We found strong evidence that lethal humans such as hunters and fishers are indeed perceived as threatening," said Shawn D'Souza, lead author and PhD student at CES. In places where hunting happens, animals stay more alert and spend less time eating. But animals respond less consistently to non-lethal humans like tourists or researchers. Sometimes, roads and settlements even reduce animal vigilance. "In certain cases, these areas can function as perceived refuges," explained D'Souza. Predators avoid humans, so prey animals feel safer near people. Co-author Maria Thaker added that cleared areas next to roads attract small animals for grazing, though vehicle collisions remain a risk. The study focused on changes in foraging, vigilance, and movement because these actions show how animals manage risk. "Time spent being vigilant is time not spent feeding," the IISc release said. These behavioural changes impact survival and reproduction. The findings support the “risk allocation hypothesis” where animals stay cautious when danger is high and relax when it is low or predictable. The researchers highlight that fear-driven behaviour changes can ripple through ecosystems, affecting grazing, predation, and balance. Kartik Shanker, co-author and CES professor, pointed out that controlled hunting can reduce wildlife entering human areas and help manage conflicts. D'Souza called for better frameworks to predict how behaviour links to ecological and evolutionary factors, urging long-term studies to see if animals become used to humans or evolve deeper changes.