Andean Pumas Bring National Park in Argentina Back to Life
Researchers are just beginning to understand how these big cats are influencing their habitat.
Mountain lion. Cougar. Puma. The big cat with many names deals in death. But in San Guillermo National Park, Argentina, Puma concolor is bringing the high Andean habitat back to life.
A mix of wind-swept grasslands, wetlands, and canyons, San Guillermo sits at 11,000 feet (3,353 meters). Pumas are its top predators. Its herbivores include vicuñas and guanacos—small members of the camel and llama family. Andean condors patrol the park's skies, sniffing out carcasses to devour.
"San Guillermo," says Andrés Novaro, a wildlife ecologist with Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), based in Patagonia, "is one of the few places [in Argentina] that retains native wildlife."
Pumas haven't always thrived in San Guillermo. The vicuñas
