That intense stare is instantly recognizable. Puma, Cougar or Mountain Lion, call it what you will, Felis concolor is a legend. Ranging from Alaska to Patagonia, it is the most widespread mammal in the new world. The apex predator in habitats as diverse as cold and high mountain ranges to hot and humid rainforests, the Puma persists wherever it has a prey base and has escaped human persecution.
So elusive is the Puma, that the vast majority of the millions of people who live within Puma territory will never catch so much as a glimpse. There is one area, though, which has emerged as a reliable place to see a Puma: the scrubby grasslands and rugged mountains of southern Patagonia, right at the very southern edge of its enormous range. Large herds of Guanacos sustain a healthy population, and the stunning Torres del Paine National Park has afforded good protection to these cats for many years. Trackers have become very skilled at locating the Pumas, and the cats have in turn become more accustomed to people. So much so that, with a few days of searching, the probability of a sighting is now very high.
Indeed, there has never been a better time to go searching for Puma. Our Chile – Pumas and Patagonian Wildlife tour will dedicate time in Torres del Paine during the best season for finding the big cat, and we are confident for our success. Time here will also yield Guanaco, two species of fox (Chila and Culpeo), and every chance for a few of the region’s scarcer species, such as Patagonian Huemul, Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk, Hairy Armadillo and possibly even Geoffroy’s Cat.
Patagonia has so much more to offer besides. An exploration of the rich Patagonian seas by boat should land us Peale’s and Commerson’s Dolphins and, even more excitingly, we also have a very good chance for Blue Whale. Rocky shorelines hold South American Sea Lion, South American Fur Seal and the wonderful Marine Otter, while the rich temperate rainforests add yet another exciting dimension to this tour, where we will seek out the rare Darwin’s Fox, Southern Pudu, Southern River Otter and the elusive Kodkod, or Guigna Cat.
