Are there any examples of predators that aim for where prey will be in the near future?

Well…if what you mean is, are animals capable of pre-mediatative thought, can they“think” ahead?

Yes.

This would be called conditioning and yes, sure, most have that ability.
I am on the nightly ‘rounds’ of quite a few fellow wild lifers.

Animals are conditioned just as we are.

If you are a Coyote and you KNOW you can pick off chickens at someones micro farm, like mine, well…would you not KNOW that if you drop on by at certain times that the chickens will be most available? lol

Have you not learned the hours of your favorite fast food place? haha

Yes, in fact they are commonly called ambush predators.

And if you have ever watched a hawk chase a dove, you will see they fly to where they think the dove is going to be, not where it is now. They don’t always win, but they do enough to feed themselves and their families.

Erm… pretty much all of them.

Frankly, it’s pretty darned hard to be a successful predator without knowing a thing or to about capturing prey animals that are quite interested in not being caught.

There are even several species that engage in cooperative hunting. Not only do they think ahead, they are smart enough to know they have a roll to play in the cooperative hunt and are even able to communicate and adapt to changing conditions. Everybody does their job, everybody gets to eat!

Beside humans and spiders, the best example of what you’re describing is dolphins.

@Afos22 that is some good stuff!!!!

Born Knowing: Tentacled Snakes Innately Predict Future Prey Behavior—film at 11.

@ratboy ooh! very very niiiiiice….and exotic…

the dolphins are a little slicker though, ya gotta admit?

Anybody can top the bottlenose dolphins stupid pet trick?

Falcon vs duck

Falcon Vs redtailed Hawk

I watch too much tv. I have seen chimpanzee strategy. This wasn’t the same video that I have seen, but it’s probably much better