The puma, Puma concolor, is a carnivorous mammal from the Felidae family which lives in forests, mountains and deserts throughout America and South America.
Profile
Least Concern (LC)
Lifestyle
The puma is a carnivorous mammal of the felidae family that lives in the forests, mountains and deserts of America, from Canada to Patagonia. It is a skilled hunter and can tackle larger prey.
Distinctive features
Young pumas are born with black spots and do not acquire their uniform fur until they are sixteen months old.
THE PATAGONIAN PUMA: AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
The expansion of agricultural areas is reducing the puma's territory and hunting activities are making its prey increasingly scarce. They are sometimes shot directly by farmers when they attack livestock. Hunting the puma is even legal in several western US states, although it was banned by referendum in California in 1990. Many South American countries have banned its hunting.
The Parc zoologique de Paris is working in partnership with the Chilean NGO Fauna australis to study the population, raise awareness among breeders, monitor the health of wild and captive populations and conserve the species' genetic heritage.
