Overview
- The peer‑reviewed research, published December 17, 2025 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, documents systematic predation on Magellanic penguins at Parque Nacional Monte León in Santa Cruz, Argentina.
- Researchers tracked 14 pumas with GPS collars and camera traps, finding that individuals feeding on penguins reduced their movements, repeatedly used the coastline, and maintained smaller ranges.
- Local puma density at the site was roughly double previously reported maxima, with estimates around 13.2–13.3 individuals per 100 square kilometers and frequent interactions among adults.
- Penguins provide a seasonal food resource; when the birds depart for the sea, pumas shift to typical prey such as guanacos, and current data do not indicate an immediate decline in the park’s penguin colony, which has been stable or growing since 2004.
- A century of predator removal for sheep ranching enabled penguins to expand onto the mainland, and the authors say the carnivores’ return is creating novel interactions that warrant further study of potential ecosystem cascades.