Puma safaris

ranging across almost the whole of the Americas

With adult males reaching 2.4 metres (7’9″) in length (nose to tail) and weighing up to 100 kg (220 lbs), pumas are the second largest cats in South America (after jaguars) and the fourth-largest species in the world (after tigers, lions and jaguars).

They are also known as mountain lions and cougars.

Pumas have an incredibly large range, which includes the western half of the USA and almost all of Central and South America.

Their natural home is mountainous areas, preferably with steep rocky slopes for protection and access to open grasslands and scrub land for hunting. However they are very adaptive and can be found from high in the Andes Mountains to deep in the Amazon rainforest.

Like most big cats, they are essentially solitary, with males spending most of their lives alone or in small sibling groups, whilst females are often found in the company of two to four cubs.

Pumas hunt by stealth and rarely pursue prey over distances of more than a few metres. They commonly take down prey over twice their size. Down in Patagonia they mainly prey on guanacos (large wild relatives of llamas).

The biggest problem that pumas face is persecution by livestock farmers, who do not appreciate the fact that an adult male can kill up to fifty cows and even more sheep each year for food.

Conservation projects in a few pioneering areas are attempting to create significant revenue streams from puma tourism in order to encourage farmers to stop killing them.

the only big cat to be regularly approached on foot

Pumas are usually very elusive and can only be viewed with any reliability in a handful of specialist locations.

Remarkably they are most reliably found in the far south of their range, in the Torres del Paine area of southern Chile.

On one particular farm, Laguna Amarga, which borders the national park, a team of dedicated researchers has been working with the local pumas since 2012.

Since the cessation of puma hunting, the cats have become increasingly relaxed to the presence of researchers and, more recently, to accompanied guests. Sightings are now virtually guaranteed for a three night stay, often with on-foot encounters within twenty or thirty metres (which is much closer than you would ever usually get, or want to get, to a tiger, lion or jaguar).

There are a handful of lodges in this Torres del Paine area, ranging from very basic to extremely high quality. All share the same key puma experience.

A further reserve, Picos del Pumas, has been established a little to the north, with a small lodge dedicated to habituating more pumas.

The only other location that we presently recommend for pumas is the Los Canones area of southern Argentina, where the chances of up-close encounters is far lower, but where you can really experience cutting edge conservation amidst starkly beautiful landscapes.

Extraordinary tailor-made adventures,
from earthy and edgy to easy and extravagant

From around USD 2500 per person, you set the ceiling

Sample Trips

Here are some of our popular trip shapes