Pumas could be the crossing guard that humans never knew we wanted. Research out today shows how these hefty cats might be helping reduce car accidents involving deer. Biologists studied puma and deer populations living in the Pacific Northwest. They found that areas that had a greater puma presence tended to have fewer deer-vehicle collisions. The findings highlight some of the less obvious perks that can come from humans co-existing with large predators, the researchers say. “Carnivores may well be providing a similar road safety service elsewhere around the globe where populations have persisted and this valuable ecosystem service has just gone unnoticed to date,” lead author Justin Suraci, a wildlife ecologist and senior scientist with Conservation Science Partners, told Gizmodo. A nine-month-old puma kitten. © Joe Pontecorvo The perks of pumas Pumas are large carnivores, but they’re not actually closely related to the various species of felines we typically call big cats, such as lions, tigers, and leopards, which all belong to the genus Panthera. Pumas are their own separate genus (Puma), with only one species still living today: Puma concolor, better known as the cougar. Cougars are widely found throughout the Americas, with two subspecies, the North American and South American cougar. That said, they are also nicknamed mountain lions, adding to the confusion.