Puma spotting in Torres Del Paine

Puma spotting in Torres Del Paine

Vicky Brown and Manny Sidhu recall their thrilling and rare sighting of not one, not two, but three pumas while on a Winter in Paine tour in Chile with Andean Trails earlier this year.

Trekkers at Lake Grey, Torres del Paine 

Vicky writes:

“We arrived in Torres del Paine on a cold winter’s morning and had the vast national park to ourselves.  The clouds soon lifted and revealed the stunning scenery and spectacular blue lakes.

Our guide, Carola, explained the types of animals we might see, including guanacos and Andean Condors.

We asked about the chances of seeing pumas (we had been tipped off that there had been a recent sighting by a fellow traveler in our hotel the day before) but Carola explained that while there was always a remote possibility, she had waited four years before her first sighting.

Magic moment

Undeterred, we proceeded through mountainous vistas and had only been within the park’s boundaries for five minutes before we reached the summit of a hill to be greeted by not one but three pumas!

We scrambled for our cameras (including our driver!) and hopped out to capture this rare moment.

Carola informed us that the three were in fact a mother and two juvenile cubs that had stopped for a drink at a lake just a few hundred metres away. Up above them was a herd of guanacos edging nervously away from the trio.

Direct look

Hearing our engine, they were quick to move off but not before we had taken a few pictures of the amazing animals.

As they were heading away from us, all of our pictures were of the back of them, until one turned and looked directly at us for a split second.

We watched in awe until they had disappeared out of sight and marvelled at our incredible luck.

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