Unraveling Chaos, Transition and Dynamical Complexities in a Generalized Predator–Prey Model with Cooperation-Induced Fear and Gestation Delay

This research investigates the interaction between a generalist predator and a prey, where the predator exhibits cooperative behavior during hunting, inducing fear into the prey population. Additionally, both the prey and predator populations are subject to harvesting. The study establishes the positivity and boundedness of the model’s solutions, ensuring the existence of the population. Analyzing the system, we explore its feasible steady states and their stability, along with various types of bifurcations, including Hopf with direction of stability, Saddle-node, Transcritical, Homoclinic, Bogdanov–Takens, and Cusp bifurcation. We also demonstrate the stability and bifurcation behavior of a delayed system. These findings are verified through one-parameter and two-parameter bifurcation structures, complemented by respective phase portraits. Notably, the system displays transition between different equilibria and bistability. Furthermore, numerical investigations reveal the impact of gestation delay, indicating chaotic behavior in the system due to this time delay.