Abstract
<jats:p>Rewilding programmes increasingly rely on species translocations to restore apex predators, rebuild trophic networks, and enhance genetic diversity, yet post-release outcomes remain highly variable. A key challenge is understanding how animals adapt behaviourally to novel environments and how learning shapes settlement. Spatial memory, developed through experience, is central to translocation success, influencing movement decisions and space use in unfamiliar landscapes. Translocations therefore provide an opportunity to examine how learning and spatial memory structure behaviour in rewilding contexts. We investigated behavioural responses to novel environments using GPS data from nine adult cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus) released into Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve, South Africa. During the first year post-release, we quantified space use using two revisitation metrics: revisit frequency (rate of returns to previously visited locations) and residence time (duration of each visit). Substantial individual variability was evident, with mean revisit frequency ranging from 2.3 to 23.7 (median 5.3 [3.1–11.7]) and mean residence time from 41.1 to 512.4 h (median 130.7 [85.9–298.6]). Space use was structured by environmental context and time since release. Higher-elevation areas were revisited infrequently but used for longer durations, while wetter areas showed low revisit frequency and short residence times. Terrain ruggedness was negatively associated with both metrics, indicating more transient use. Vegetation type strongly influenced revisitation behaviour, with open Cynodon grassland revisited more frequently and for longer durations than woodland, particularly during mid to late post-release phases, suggesting progressive settlement. Sex effects were weak and largely interaction-driven. Overall, settlement was dynamic and shaped by environmental features and learning over time. Revisitation metrics provide behavioural indicators of spatial memory relevant to rewilding, informing release-site selection, habitat management, and translocation timing.</jats:p>