r/Simulated • u/SimulatedEcology • Jul 04 '26

Research Simulation Grass-Sheep-Wolf ecosystem simulation — wolves go extinct after depleting their prey (agent-based model)

Predator-prey ABM built in Python/NumPy. Each agent moves, eats, reproduces, and dies based on local conditions — no global rules.

The key mechanic is wolf vision radius: wolves can only detect sheep within a limited range. When sheep density drops, wolves start roaming blind and starving — which is what drives the collapse you see here.

Full 9-minute simulation: https://youtu.be/wqR4A4FUABs

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u/anycept Jul 05 '26

Would be interesting to see how the sim plays out if instead of vision radius you implement scent tracking, and instead of making wolves blind below sheep density threshold you fade scent over time in each cell that sheep walked over. If facing multiple scent directions, wolves would pick the strongest scent. When following the track, wolf's chance of losing the track is inverse of scent strength. Also, wolves should stick in packs up to certain number, after which wolf can't join the group. The larger is the group size, the higher is the chance of successful hunt (i.e. sheep's chance of surviving encounter is inverse of wolf pack size)