How the agave is helping wild pumas return to Guanajuato

Published September 18, 2024

What is the ultimate proof that efforts to restore degraded land have been successful? When an apex predator such as the puma returns to the ecosystem. That signifies that the soil is healthy enough to sustain plant life. In turn, this supports animals such as rabbits and deer, which are prey for the puma. A new scheme, operated by Hacienda Cañada del Virgen, has found a way to do just this.

In the state of Guanajuato, faced with deforested land and an escalating water crisis, several innovators in regenerative agriculture are utilizing the amazing properties of the agave plant, to capture moisture from the nighttime air. These plants survive on a single liter of water per year and generate impressive results. They have also been used to improve environmental conditions enough to see pumas return to the wilds.

Such was the experience of the Trapp family of Hacienda Cañada de la Virgen, whose innovative reforestation system, centered around the agave plant, has enabled the return of the puma to their five-thousand-hectare organic, grass-fed cattle ranch and nature preserve near San Miguel de Allende. One great cat was recently photographed by a livestock camera after not having been seen in the area for decades.

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