Determination of the Minimum Population Size of Pumas (Puma concolor) Through Fecal DNA Analysis in Two Protected Cerrado Areas in the Brazilian Southeast

Abstract

ABSTRACTPumas (Puma concolor) are an endangered species due to habitat loss and the ever‐growing conflict with expanding human populations. We used genetic analysis of feces, a noninvasive study method, to determine the presence of pumas and their estimated minimum population in two protected areas in the northeast of São Paulo State, Brazil: Jataí Ecological Station and Vassununga State Park. We were able to identify the species that originally deposited the feces by means of amplification of a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and comparison of this fragment with reference sequences from pumas and other carnivores present in the region. We used a panel containing four microsatellite loci to individualize each of the samples collected. Among the 20 fecal samples, we identified 10 as clearly belonging to pumas and two as belonging to ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), a species sympatric with P. concolor. By plotting the feces sampling points against a satellite image, we determined the presence of at least nine puma individuals in the region, three in the Jataí Ecological Station, four in the Vassununga State Park, and two in their surroundings. The identity probability was 0.0001 and the occurrence of allelic dropout was 10.6 percent. The presence of pumas, the estimate of their minimum population size, as well as their distribution, constitute an important tool for the implementation of management and conservation programs in the areas studied and their surroundings.