SCIENCE
Science behind our work
At Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation, we study how pumas and other native species use the territory and adapt to a landscape where conservation, ranching, and human presence coexist.
Our scientific work combines different lines of research, including long-term monitoring with camera traps, allowing us to understand real behavioral patterns and make informed conservation decisions.
Our studies show that there are different strategies of space use among individuals.
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Resident pumas use relatively small, defined territories.
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Dispersing pumas range over areas 7 to 8 times larger, moving across hundreds or even thousands of square kilometers.
This demonstrates that puma conservation does not depend solely on protecting specific areas, but on maintaining large, connected landscapes that allow for these large-scale movements.
Monitoring reveals that not all areas of the territory are used in the same way.
The Condorera sector shows the highest relative puma activity, even when accounting for monitoring effort. This positions it as a priority area for the conservation of the species within the estancia.
Identifying these key areas allows us to focus protection, monitoring, and management actions in a strategic and evidence-based way.
Although pumas and Geoffroy’s cats share the same territory, they use different activity schedules to reduce direct encounters.
While pumas concentrate their activity during crepuscular hours, Geoffroy’s cats are primarily nocturnal.
This temporal differentiation is a natural strategy that supports coexistence between species and reduces the risk of conflict.
These results reflect a functional ecosystem, where species adjust their behavior to coexist within the same landscape.
Applied science for coexistence
These results not only allow us to better understand pumas, but also provide a foundation for promoting coexistence strategies between wildlife and ranching.
Science is a central tool in our work: it helps us make better decisions today and envision a future where conservation and ranching can coexist in balance.