US EditionPuma populations are on the rise in Patagonia, now targeting penguins as prey
Puma density reached 13.2 cats per 100 sq km near seasonal penguin colonies, altering puma social behavior and space use in response to abundant prey availability.
- On Wednesday, a paper published in Royal Society Journals reported that rebounding pumas in Patagonia, Argentina have started hunting Magellanic penguins , documented by GPS and camera data.
- After decades of heavy hunting and sheep ranching, conservation actions including donated ranches converted into Monte Le�n National Park in 2004 gave pumas a chance to rebound.
- Data from 32 camera traps and GPS collars show puma density at 13.2 cats per 100 square kilometers near Monte Le�n penguin colony with more than 40,000 breeding pairs, a seasonal colony.
- The penguins' seasonal arrival reorganized puma space use, with penguin-eating pumas sharing areas more and showing unusual tolerance, raising questions about impacts on guanacos and the broader ecosystem.
- Serota said, `Restoring wildlife in today's changed landscapes doesn't simply rewind ecosystems to the past` and `It can create entirely new interactions that reshape animal behavior and populations in unexpected ways`, highlighting ongoing research and open questions.
16 Articles
16 Articles
A study published this Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, documented how the pumas are repopulating Argentinian Patagonia and how this growth of its populations affects Magellan penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus). Scientists believe that this is what happens when a large predator returns to dominate an ecosystem and we are seeing it in real time. And it is that decades ago, the pumas predated cattle and, consequently, w…
The return of the pumas brought back to the landscape the main predators, to the great dismay of the penguins
In Patagonia, pumas have again increased strongly – with consequences for small seabirds breeding on land. When hunting penguins, the predatory cats seem to show an unusual social behaviour.
How a new diet of penguins is changing puma behavior and social lives in Patagonia
Penguins in the coastal steppes of Argentina have a new enemy to worry about: the increasing numbers of pumas in Monte León National Park (MLNP). These powerful mountain cats were once on the brink of disappearing from this region due to hunting and the loss of their natural prey, but have been brought back through dedicated conservation efforts that protect their habitat.
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