Global biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, with more than 1 million species threatened with extinction. Focusing on wild cats is efficient thanks to their enormous ranges and habitats. He says big cats, especially, play a critical role in their environments by supporting biodiversity and overall health. Pumas are “ecosystem engineers,” whose interactions with hundreds of other species profoundly influence the structure and function of their habitats. Jaguar range, which overlaps with most of the Americas’ tropical forests, provides 17 percent of the world’s carbon storage and sequestration.
