There has been a recent flurry of theoretical, empirical, and comparative research in the remarkably integrative field of animal escape behavior. We highlight several new insights, mostly those that have emerged from the economic study of flight initiation distance (FID). Recent theoretical developments have shown that the logic applied to understanding FID also applies to other situations and that escape behavior is influenced by its benefits and costs, but the importance of these factors varies by taxa. In some cases, escape behavior is part of a compensatory response animals use to manage risk. Escape behavior varies geographically and can be used to inform wildlife management.