This Cat Holds Ecosystems Together

Tambako the Jaguar, via Flickr. Distributed under a CC BY-ND 2.0 license.

According to a new analysis, pumas maintain relationships with nearly 500 living species and play an integral role in keeping ecosystems healthy and resilient throughout the Western hemisphere. The study, a collaboration between the conservation organizations Defenders of Wildlife and Panthera, not only demonstrates how pumas link numerous animals and plants but also how the human communities tied to these ecosystems benefit from the big cats.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: This Cat Holds Ecosystems Together.