I visited Chile more than 15 times over the years and explored some really cool destinations within this beautiful country. Back then, I was in the travel industry and even had the owner of one of the top New York travel agencies call me for travel advice for Chile. Some of the highlights were the Atacama desert in the north, Valparaiso on the coast and even a incredible trip from Puerto Montt to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina crossing lakes and mountains. I felt that I had visited it all, that was until I heard a cousin talking about a place called Torres del Paine.

One of the things that I observed on one of my visits back in the 1980’s, many of the Americans that I saw were visiting because they had literally been everywhere else. Argentina was more well known because of the tango and Hollywood but Chile was still under the radar for most people. I recall vividly, one older American man with a walker struggling to get around and I said to myself I don’t want to be too old and in poor physical shape when I travel. I want to see the world while I am still young and mobile enough to really enjoy the experience. So when I saw a trip to visit the pumas of Torres del Paine.

I booked the trip and checked off my last box of places to visit in Chile. Getting there is neither easy or cheap. From Valencia, I took a train to Madrid and then flew 16 hours non-stop to Santiago. There I spent two days acclimating myself to the time zone and catching up with some cousins and museums. Next I flew the three and a half hours to Punta Arenas and then drove another 4 hours to arrive to Cerro Castillo, the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and the estancias. Cerro Castillo is effectively a town that exists to support the people visiting the park and the estancias. It is a 45 minute drive to get into the puma viewing area from here or you can pay over $1,000 a night to stay closer to the pumas so I stayed here. There’s even the absurd option to stay at a hotel called Xplora for $3,000 a night. No thanks.

One last yet very interesting bit of background information before I get to the pumas. Chile’s government actively drove colonization through a series of broad Colonization Laws (such as the Colonization Law of 1845 and the 1882 General Immigration Agency). Rather than a single named program, the state offered free land, tools, and transport to European farmers to modernize the south and secure sovereignty in Chilean Patagonia. Somehow, a group of people from the Austrian empire learned of the program, immigrated to this area and today their grandchildren own the estancia’s on which we tracked and photographed pumas. I even saw a Croatian social club in Punta Arenas. You learn something new every day.

After a 45 minute drive, we met our guides at a beautiful parking area in front of a small lagoon and we set out in search of pumas. Typically, there were two SUVs each with a guide/driver and a third tracker who was already in the field searching with infrared binoculars for sign of pumas. Almost immediately, the tracker notified us via radio that he had found a male and a female puma and that love was in the air. I was also told that to see pumas copulating was a very rare event and that we were fortunate to have witnessed this event. I did see a few different sessions of puma love it but the images were partially obstructed by the tall grass.

I always was shoot with two cameras so that I have a plan b if one camera malfunctions but most importantly to have to different lens ready so I don't miss a composition. On this trip, my main camera was a Nikon Z8 with a 600mm f/4 with a built in teleconverter which allowed me to reach 840mm with the flick of a switch. My second camera was configured for closer encounters and that was another Nikon Z8 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 and I used them both almost equally. Pro tip: if you are trying to capture pumas images with only a 200mm lens you will generally be disappointed. The bare minimum focal length is 400mm for pumas and wildlife in general. Sure, if a puma crosses the road infant of you a 200mm lens will work and so will an iPhone. Speaking of which, don’t discount your iPhone. I used this for videos of the really close encounters like this one where a puma walked right by me.

Capturing the perfect shot isn’t just about luck—it’s about strategy. Instead of crowding near the group, I left a 5-meter gap, creating a natural path for the puma to walk through if she chose. I kneeled down, hit record, and waited. As she approached, you can hear our guide whisper in Spanish: ‘¡No se muevan!’ (Don’t move!)—thankfully, I’m fluent. I didn’t dare shift my torso or head, only pivoting my wrist to keep the phone steady.

Pumas, like all big cats, usually ignore humans unless they’re curious or hungry. Here in Torres del Paine, they’re used to our presence, but respect is key: no movement, no sound, and absolutely no running. (I’d rather not be mistaken for dinner.) Patience, preparation, and a deep respect for wildlife—that’s how you get the shot. Additionally, when you take a picture with your iPhone, it gives you meta data and location details which are immensely helpful when trying to remember all the places you have been and were unable to pin to your phone map due to lack of internet signal.

My wife and sons both asked me how dangerous was it to have a pumas walk so close to me. To put it bluntly, If you are stupid then it is dangerous and I am a lot of things but I can say without reservation that I am NOT stupid. My first puma encounter is documented in the image below which recently received accolades from my colleagues at The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) and was captured from about 20 meters with my 600mm lens while kneeling.

The puma in the image above was walking in a drainage ditch towards me and passed my friend Andreas from less than a meter away. I was nervous but didn't move a muscle once she approached.

Essentially, when a puma is that close you should make no movements - especially sudden movements - and you always remain silent. These estancias where the pumas roam are not zoos and these animals are 100% wild. We leave no traces of food or litter behind and never feed them. From an early age they learn the humans are creatures who drive big SUVs, have radios that makes noise but pose no threat to them whatsoever.

It's important to note I visited the Torres del Paine region in June which is during the South American winter. This is the best time to visit because the puma activity is the same throughout the year but there are significantly less people visiting the estancias in June and less people is always a bonus in wildlife photography.

And if you prefer to view the images from the trip now instead of later, here's a link to the Pumas -Torres del Paine gallery on my website - please enjoy and share with your friends and family!

These two sibling cubs (see below) are about three months old and are perched atop a hill and waiting for two things. Either their mother to bring them back some food like a hare or for her to call them once she kills a Guanaco. Guanaco's are related to the llama and are the main source of food for the Pumas here in Torres del Paine. Unfortunately, only about half of puma cubs survive their first year and life is tough for them. If they are lucky and skilled enough hunters to reach the age of 2.5 or 3 then they can begin mating.

If you have been following my blog you know that I am a keen believer in observation. After watching these two cubs for a few hours I began to notice a few things. The first, was that they have different shaped faces and one is larger than the other. The one on the left is a male, exhibiting the wider face and is about 15% larger than his sister on the right. My other observation was that the male cub seemed more concerned with protection as he was constantly watching me. The female cub, on the other hand, spent most of her time scanning the horizon for a sign of her mother and food. Teamwork seems to pay off in the animal world too.

Before visiting Patagonia, I never imagined how much their behavior would remind me of the cats we share our homes with. Stretching, observing, playing, grooming, stalking, and even the curious way they watch the world around them—it all felt strikingly familiar.

The resemblance goes far beyond behavior. Pumas (Puma concolor) and domestic cats (Felis catus) share more than 95% of their DNA. Although they diverged from a common ancestor millions of years ago, their basic instincts and behaviors remain remarkably similar.

In Torres del Paine National Park, where pumas have been observed by people for many years, some individuals appear surprisingly comfortable around humans. During my time there, I learned that females with cubs are often less wary than males. One theory this citizen scientist has is that a mother may tolerate nearby humans because their presence can discourage males from approaching and potentially killing young cubs in order to bring the female back into breeding condition. Of course, every puma has its own personality. Some are bold, some are cautious, and some are downright elusive. But one thing became clear to me: beneath the size, power, and reputation of this magnificent predator is a creature that, in many ways, still behaves like the cat curled up on your couch.

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