Puma
In Chilean Patagonia and the spectacular wilderness of Torres del Paine
I lived my dream for the past four years — photographing wild pumas in winter
A mother and her cubs moving through the Patagonian landscape covered in snow
In a working estancia that raises 10,000 sheep and 1,600 cattle —
is also home to a thriving population of wild pumas.
Over the past seven years, the estancia has developed a conservation program demonstrating something very important: tourism, livestock, local livelihoods, and wildlife can coexist.
During five days in the field, I saw pumas on four days. I photographed Raya, a mother puma, and her two cubs, Peluso and Niebla. One unforgettable day, I spent four hours tracking the family across fresh snow.
I also spent more than six hours on a cliff with Andean condors, watching these magnificent birds soar directly overhead.
But the greatest story was not the photographs.
Today, more than 70 pumas are reported to live in this area, protected within a working landscape where people and wildlife are finding a way to thrive together. This is conservation that gives me hope.
I will return to Chilean Patagonia in Dec 2026, and then again in July 2027 for another winter puma-and-condor photography safari.
If you would like to join me, send me a message.
Come for the photography.
Leave with a deeper understanding of what is possible when we choose to honor wildlife.
