A true athlete, the puma – cougar, mountain lion, catamount, call it by any of these names – can run fast, jump high, climb and swim well. With the handsome looks of a lion and the dexterity of a leopard, this attractive and efficient ambush predator is all about performance. Unless you add heavy anthropogenic pressures into the mix.
The usual suspects – habitat fragmentation, hunting (of puma and prey species like guanaco), disease and poaching, have forced puma and livestock into close proximity of one another and predictably, conflict has resulted and puma numbers have suffered. But when the going gets tough, the tough work harder. The Fundación Cerro Guido Conservación is running the long-term survival marathon beside the pumas of Patagonia. With a similar approach to our own Care of the Land, Wildlife and People, we are proud supporters of this conservation initiative.