Puma Safaris

The puma (Puma concolor), also known as the mountain lion, cougar, or panther, is one of the most adaptable wild cats in the world. Stretching from the Canadian Rockies down through the Andes to the tip of Patagonia, it has the widest range of any large mammal in the Western Hemisphere. Solitary and elusive, pumas rely on stealth and strength to ambush prey, with powerful hind legs capable of launching leaps up to 18 feet.

Patagonia is one of the very best places to see pumas in the wild. Here, they roam open steppe and valleys in pursuit of guanacos, their primary prey. But despite their wide range, pumas face ongoing threats from habitat loss, hunting, and conflict with ranchers. While globally listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, local populations are vulnerable. In Patagonia, community-led eco-tourism and specialist puma tracking safaris play a key role in conservation, providing economic incentives for protection while helping safeguard this iconic predator.

Pumas are found across the Americas, from the mountains of western Canada and the United States to the dense forests of Central America and the southern tip of Chile and Argentina. They thrive in a wide range of habitats, including forests, deserts, grasslands, and high-altitude mountains.

The Patagonian Andes are especially renowned for puma tracking, particularly in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, where guanaco herds attract a healthy population of cats. The mix of open terrain, dramatic landscapes, and specialist guiding makes this one of the most reliable places in the world to see wild pumas.