Torres del Paine in Patagonia is a great place to track Pumas. It can involve some serious hiking. To get to this beautiful male we had to hike a considerable distance up a steep hill to his resting place. When we arrived the light was gorgeous and the setting ideal. We hoped he would get up whilst the light was good. After watching him for more than three hours he did arise for his nightly hunt but then the light had all but gone. Nevertheless, it was a lovely encounter.
The Puma (Puma concolor), is also commonly known as the cougar or mountain lion. The subspecies in Patagonia is the South American Puma, Puma c. patagonica. Pumas are the fourth largest cat after Tigers, Lions and Jaguars. Adult males are around 2.4m long from nose to tail tip, and weigh an average of 80kg but can reach 100kg.