Puma Cubs
The pumas that have territories on the Laguna Amarga Estancia, comprising almost 7,000 hectares of private land that have been set aside for conservation bordering the Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia, are well known to (and many have been named by) the owners of the estancia and the trackers and guides that work in this area. These pumas have featured in numerous wildlife documentaries that have been produced by the BBC and National Geographic amongst others.
During a recent photography trip to Chile, it was therefore an incredible privilege to encounter and to spend time with two young puma cubs that were believed to have never before been close to humans. These pumas were believed to be around 7 months old and it was known that their mother, having suffered a prior trauma, was very wary of humans. Early one morning, having learned that the mother had killed a guanaco during the night and that the cubs had been seen feeding on this kill, together with a tracker and guide I had located the puma cubs near the shore of Lake Sarmiento that borders the estancia. From a distance, we watched the two puma cubs as they moved across this area before they disappeared from view and we then decided to leave them.
Returning later in the afternoon, as the tracker went forward to check on the guanaco kill, I spotted the two puma cubs sitting on a ridge that overlooked the kill. When the tracker had confirmed that it was safe to approach, I joined the tracker and we concealed ourselves amongst low lying bushes less than 40 feet from the kill. With our camera equipment set up, we sat silently waiting for the puma cubs to come down to the kill to feed on it.
We were in luck as, after only a short time, the male puma got up and walked down off the ridge to the kill and began to feed on the guanaco right in front of us.
When the male cub had eaten his fill, he left the kill and walked over to where his sister was waiting patiently for her turn to feed.
After the cubs had greeted each other, the female cub left her brother and came to the guanco kill to feed. As the female cub fed, the sun started to set behind the mountains of the Torres del Paine National Park, bathing the area in a beautifully warm side light
One of the advantages of the mirrorless cameras I am now using is their ability to shoot high quality video as well as high resolution images. With my Nikon Z9 and Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S lens mounted on a heavy tripod and head, as well as making images of the puma cubs feeding I also shot video of this behaviour.
To be able to spend time with these two young puma cubs, which were completely comfortable with my presence, on what was believed to be their first encounter with humans was one of the highlights of my time in Chilean Patagonia. Without a doubt, the Laguna Amarga Estancia is one of the best places in America to watch and photograph pumas.