Puma, Mountain Lion, Cougar, Florida Panther, are all names for Puma concolor, the second largest cat in the American continent.
The Spaniards, when exploring the different corners, a few centuries ago, were surprised to find only females of the species, as they expected the males, to have manes, like the African Lion. Of course, it took them no time to find they were wrong. Anyway, the puma became the American “lion” and the Jaguar, the “tiger”. Their average weight is 65 kg for males and 35 kg for females. They can live up to 15 years and reach sexual maturity at approx. 18 months, although young males might not mate until they are twice that age. The smallest ones can be found in warm weather and the larger ones in the colder areas. They can jump 12 meters horizontally and six vertically, making it a powerful hunting machine. They come equipped with very sharp claws, and large canines, which are its mortal weapon. They do not hunt in packs and there is no collaboration between them. A female with large cubs will also hunt by herself, and the cubs learn by imitation. Usually their first kills are smaller or newborn animals.
Their prey is very variable, and it includes the largest mammals (unfortunately also livestock), birds, rodents and insects. In some areas, its main prey is the European Hare, which was introduced approximately 80 years ago into South America.
Their hunting techniques vary but they are great stalkers and ambushers. They are very fast in short sprints but will not engage in long chases.
This top predator’s range is one of the largest in the world, as it can be found all the way to the Yukon in the North, to the Magellan Strait in the South. Its adaptability allows it not only to live, but also to thrive in completely different environments.
It can be found in the tropical forests, in the deserts, in the snow-covered mountains, in the 12,000 feet highlands of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru, the steppes of Patagonia. Literally everywhere in the continent with the exception of Tierra del Fuego and North of the Arctic Circle. If I had to bet, I’d say that with the climate change, it will soon be found in the Arctic too.
The Puma shares some of its territory with the Jaguar, in the tropical and subtropical areas, Grizzly Black Bear and wolves in North America, but it is the apex predator in the South of South America.
Depending on the environment, and of course, prey availability, their individual ranges can be very small, sharing territory, and sometimes kills with other, or they can cover hundreds of kilometres by themselves.
Females give birth to an average of 3.5 cubs that usually stay with their mother for over a year. They start sharing her prey when they are just a couple of months old, but continue nursing for over six months. Females tend to share and/or overlap territories with their mothers, and usually males, are either killed or chased out of their mother’s territory by a dominant male. Sometimes, the dominant male will kill the cubs to defend its territory. Young males are the colonizers of new territories as they move out of their mother’s area. As they go into new territories, they run into conflict with ranchers and urban areas, so the number of adult males is significantly lower than the females. Some of the females, as their territories get crowded, do the same, and since they breed all year around and have a very good weaning rate, if not bothered, they can rebound into some areas where they were wiped out, in just a few years. Puma numbers are down, and they are considered of least concern by the IUCN Red list of endangered species.
The main reason for the puma’s resilience is that it is able to hide in plain sight. Pumas prefer the pre-dawn and dusk lights to hunt and avoid humans whenever possible. The second reason is that they are willing to live where very humans, do, whether it is a tropical forest or a cold desert highland. The very few incidents with humans, considering that we are present in all of its range, have been usually triggered by our behavior, as we run past them unaware of their presence, as this provokes its hunting behavior. If seen, it will avoid conflict, and will run away; hey, most of the times.
As I am telling this story from my experience, do not take this for granted. If you see a puma, and it is not moving away from you, please, do not behave as prey and run away. Make eye contact, make yourself bigger and do not walk away unless you can keep your eyes on it. In puma territory, don’t let your children run in front or behind you.
After some facts, I will get a bit personal, as pumas are one of my favorite animals to spot and photograph, and this for me means Patagonia. I love Patagonia and especially during the winter. Days are short, the light is beautiful and although it is cold, the wind, a daily presence during other seasons, sometimes gives me a break.
Looking for pumas, getting out of the truck and stepping on frosted grass, hard ground and freezing temperatures, before sunrise, is the time when I am really happy. It is very hard to describe what I feel but I guess the atmosphere sort of wakes up a primitive part of me, that lies dormant, that keeps to itself when sitting by the pool or shopping for groceries when I am home.
The day usually starts driving around, in a remote part of Patagonia, and if I am really lucky, I can find a puma to follow. If I am not, then I grab my gear, some food, a backpack, and of course a sturdy monopod, my weapon of choice in case a puma tries to get frisky. Usually, I start walking up and down the hills, trying to find tracks, a fresh kill, or any signs of the puma, with the help of a good pair of binoculars. A fresh kill usually means that the puma is very close, especially if it is a big mammal, as it will eat and defend its kill from other puma and other animalssuch as Foxes, Condors and Caracaras.
Pumas tend to be active until the sun is high enough for their prey to spot them easily and this is when I would rather find them. A female with young cubs is always good, as like any infants, the cubs play during parts of the day. The female leaves them behind in order to hunt, and calls them to lead them to the kill or to change dens. Of course, they have different personalities and experiences, so some are very confident, and will approach or not avoid you, walking by you, without paying much attention. Others are careful, cautious (males tend to be more skittish) and will start moving away from you even if you are several hundred meters away. This, of course, makes every approach a challenge.
In southern Patagonia, one of their main prey is the Guanaco (Lama guanicoe), a relative of the Llama. In the winter, they tend to concentrate in large herds, as they come down from their summer grazing areas. Large herds mean more sentries, and the alarm call of the Guanaco can be heard for several miles. If you hear them, you know that they are looking at their predator. When they are spotted, the puma starts moving without hiding themselves so it is easier for me to see them. However, the “ideal” puma is the one that I have seen before the Guanaco has. When this happens, adrenaline kicks in, as there is always a chance of catching some action, whether it is stalking, a chase or a successful hunt. This sounds very easy but very few have been able to capture this on camera, and unfortunately, I am not one of them! I have been close a few times, witnessed unsuccessful chases and stalks, or arrived a couple of minutes after they made the kill. I am still looking for that moment when the predator springs on top of the prey. Maybe next time, because, there will be a next time.
