Research overview: puma predation on guanaco in Patagonia

A survey of the predator-prey relationship between pumas and guanacos in the steppe and mountains of Patagonia, where the guanaco is the puma's main native prey. Pumas are major predators of guanacos, and their kills provision an array of scavengers including condors and foxes, making pumas important to the wider community, while conflict arises where pumas also prey on introduced sheep. This overview synthesizes studies of puma kill rates, prey selection between guanacos and livestock, the carrion subsidies puma kills provide, and the conservation tensions in ranching landscapes. It connects felid predation ecology to a distinctive southern South American system and to the role of cats as carcass providers. The topic broadens puma predation study beyond North America to the species' southern range.