A puma considered extinct for 80 years was once again seen in Rio de Janeiro

a Concolor Puma Or the “mountain lion” who was considered a Already extinct species, in a biological reserve in the Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro, where a specimen last appeared in 1930, according to records in various areas of the Atlantic Forest.

The animal was captured in June 2020 by a surveillance camera Pearl Mark website, a biological reserve located in the west of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

From these photos, a group of biologists from Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ) has begun tracking the trail of the cougar, whose appearance was the subject of a recent article in the scientific publication Check List, according to AFP.

With footprints, scratches on trees, and other evidence, biologists verified the animal’s presence in other nearby parks.

Biologist Jorge Pontes, one of the work’s authors, told the Estadao newspaper that it was about “the re-emergence of species and not just an individual wandering in the area.”

“Puma is already in town, it’s not isolated incidents,” Pontes said.

So far, this mammal with grayish-brown to reddish-brown fur has been officially declared extinct Municipal list of endangered species of flora and fauna in Rio de Janeiro, the researchers point out in the article.

It is uncertain how many specimens of this cat live in Rio, but its presence has been recorded both in the north and south of the continent.

This puma can reach a length of 2.30 meters and weigh more than 70 kilograms.

In addition to the Atlantic Forest, it inhabits various biomes of the Brazilian territory, such as the Amazon, the Cerrado Mountains and the Pantanal.