First record of Puma concolor Linneus, 1771 (Carnivora: Felidae) preying Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780) on a palm-oil plantation in the Meta department, Colombia

Abstract

Colombia is currently the fourth palm oil crop producer in the world and the top producer in South America (Torres-Carrasco et al. 2013), leading to an accelerated series of changes in many landscapes (Balaguera-Reina & González-Maya 2010). To date few studies have assessed biodiversity in palm-oil plantations in the country, in which large and medium-sized felids (Panthera onca, Leopardus pardalis, and Puma yagouaroundi) have been recorded, however, pumas (Puma concolor) have been exclusively recorded in forests and forest-edges (Boron & Payán 2012). Nevertheless, studies regarding ecological interactions and use by these species in these human-made landscapes are still missing.