It’s sunset in Torres del Paine National Park. We just finished a hike to the base of the Cuernos and are driving to the other side of the park before dark. We see a group of people standing on a hillside and slow down.

I pull out my binoculars to see what the group is staring at. My heart’s pounding so hard I swear it must be audible on the mic. Standing on the hillside opposite to the group, devouring a recent kill, is one of the most powerful predators in the Americas. I grab my camera as Rafa tells us to hop out and join the viewing party while he finds a place to park. Camera in hand, I crouch low to the ground. Through my lens, I can see every detail – the muscled shoulders, the tawny fur painted gold in the late afternoon light, and those eyes… those incredible amber eyes that have evolved to track prey across these windswept Patagonian grasslands for millennia.

This isn’t just any puma. This is Rupestre, a queen of Torres del Paine. The message is clear: she’s letting us watch her, not the other way around.

For the next twenty minutes, we watch her devour a guanaco, flipping legs up to gnaw on thigh meat, standing up to move her prize, then lying back down to enjoy another part of her hard-earned meal.

You know, I’ve spent years studying big cats and have seen almost every big cat species in the wild, but nothing – absolutely nothing – prepares you for that moment when you’re sharing space with a wild puma. Here in Torres del Paine, these cats aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving. And their story? It’s about to change everything I thought I knew about predator conservation.

Welcome to Torres del Paine National Park

Welcome back to Rewildology. I’m Brooke Mitchell, and today we’re stepping into one of the most iconic landscapes on Earth—Torres del Paine National Park.

You know that feeling when you first see something so magnificent that your brain takes a moment to process it’s real? That’s Torres del Paine. After nearly 24 hours of travel, I was exhausted and coffee-deprived when we first crested the hill overlooking the park. But the moment those three granite towers came into view – Torre d’Agostini, Torre Central, and Torre Monzino – piercing 2,500 meters into the Patagonian sky, every trace of fatigue vanished.

This landscape goes beyond mere scenic beauty. These towers tell a story that spans millions of years, back to when massive geological forces pushed ancient seafloor up through the Earth’s crust. The distinctive bands you see striping the peaks? Those are layers of granite and sedimentary rock, a testament to the raw power that shaped this landscape. When you stand at their base, you’re literally looking at Earth’s history written in stone.

The next day, with my friend Hazleena in tow, we ventured deeper into the park. The further we drove, the more the views exceeded my wildest expectations. We had so many moments like this that we started calling this the ‘OMG, Is This Real?’ expedition. Every turn in the road revealed another view that seemed impossible – turquoise lakes dotted with icebergs, autumn colors sweeping across meadows, and herds of guanacos grazing beneath those towering peaks.

Our first stop was Grey Glacier, one of the park’s most dramatic features. Standing on the black pebble beach of Lago Grey, watching that massive wall of ice stretch toward the horizon, you can’t help but feel humbled. This glacier belongs to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world’s third-largest reserve of fresh water outside the poles. But it also stands as a stark reminder of what we stand to lose – like many of Patagonia’s glaciers, Grey has retreated significantly in recent decades.

[Patagonia wind clip and laughter]

Let me tell you about Patagonian wind – it’s not just wind, it’s a force of nature that shapes everything here. During our hike to the Cuernos viewpoint, I learned this firsthand. Picture this: we’re standing at this gorgeous turquoise waterfall, I’m trying to record, and…

[Audio clip of almost falling over]

But those winds serve a purpose. They’re part of what makes this ecosystem unique, carrying moisture from the Pacific, creating microclimates that support an incredible diversity of life. Every species here has adapted to these extreme conditions.

Speaking of pumas… As the day was waning and we were heading toward the park exit, fate threw us an incredible gift. A small cluster of people stood on a ridge, cameras pointed toward the hillside. There, in the golden light of late afternoon, lay one of the park’s most famous residents – Rupestre, a female puma, casually feasting on a recent guanaco kill.

This moment – watching one of South America’s most powerful predators going about her daily life – wasn’t just luck. Rather, it represents decades of dedicated conservation work. Torres del Paine stands as one of the few places on Earth where wild pumas not only survive but thrive, sharing the landscape with both wildlife and humans. How did this happen, and what does it mean for the future of predator conservation?

The Ghost of Patagonia: A New Understanding of Pumas

When I watched Rupestre on that hillside, confident and calm in the fading light, I wondered how this was possible. In most places, catching even a glimpse of a wild puma is the story of a lifetime. Trust me – I had been trying to spot one in the Rocky Mountain landscape for nearly a decade. Yet here I was, watching one of Earth’s most elusive predators going about her evening routine. The answer to this mystery, I would learn, lies in a complex web of history, ecology, and changing relationships between humans and wildlife.

Meeting Nicolás Lagos: Panthera’s Coordinator in Patagonia

To understand the Patagonian puma story, I met Nicolás Lagos, Panthera’s coordinator for the Patagonia Pumas Coexistence Project. In his cozy home overlooking the fjords of Puerto Natales, surrounded by plants and wildlife art, Nico helped me understand that the cats of Torres del Paine are rewriting our knowledge of pumas.

Nico:  My name is Nicolás Lagos. I’m from Chile, from Santiago, but now I’m living in Puerto Natales.  And I’m the coordinator of the Patagonia Pumas Coexistence Project of the NGO Panthera.

Perfect Puma Habitat: How Geography Favors the Big Cats

As we sipped our coffee and mate, watching the evening light paint the mountains, Nico explained how several factors came together to create this puma paradise. The same forces that carved out the park’s dramatic geography – the glaciers we talked about in our last episode – created perfect puma habitat. Those U-shaped valleys and rolling hills? They’re ancient glacial sculptures that now serve as perfect corridors for hunting and raising cubs.

Nico:  So why? I think it’s a mixture of things. So one of them is that there’s a national park. So there is a place where pumas have been protected for a long time.  Then, it is a place where the prey density is high as well. The main prey of the puma is the guanaco.

So, in the park, there is a huge density of guanaco, and outside the park, they were killed in the past. In the past, the ranchers killed the pumas and the guanacos as well, because the guanacos were thought to be competing with the sheep.  

But inside the park, you have this, like, kind of this island of conservation. On one side, the pumas are protected, on the other side, a lot of prey. And the other thing is a good habitat. The park has very good habitat, uh, for pumas as a hunting ground. It’s a very good place with high mountains, not super high, but, small mountains with rocks and small valleys where the pumas can jump from one valley to the other super easily.

And in each valley, one group of guanaco, another group of guanaco. So they can kind of. Move from one place to the other, super easily, and hunt, uh, successfully hunt the guanacos.

Revealing Social Secrets: Pumas Are Not So Solitary After All

The landscape tells only part of the story. What makes Torres del Paine truly special lies in how these cats behave. That moment I shared with Rupestre wasn’t mere coincidence – it resulted from years of changed human behavior allowing these cats to feel secure enough to be visible. When people stop persecuting pumas, the cats gradually learn that humans aren’t a threat. This shift in behavior has allowed scientists like Nico to discover something revolutionary.

Nico:  Every population of puma throughout the distribution has their own stuff.  Of course, there are some biology that are being shared, but, what we have learned is that here the pumas stay less with the mother until they are independent. We have seen cubs going independent, uh, a year, maybe less than a year. 

Brooke: Oh, really? 

Nico: Between one year and a year and a half, but mostly at the year, they are okay to go out and find their own territory.  But another interesting thing is about the social behavior of pumas.

So what we learned here is also that pumas are not as solitary as we thought in the past.  Actually, in, uh, 2016, in the US, in Teton National Park, there was a long term study where they found that some pumas were sharing carcasses between them, between adults. Something that you have never thought before. 

Actually, in the books, you were taught in the university that you can see only pumas interacting because they are in a courtship or fighting.  But here, and also in the U. S., we found that the pumas are sharing their carcasses.

They have knowledge of who is who. It’s kind of a neighborhood where you know your neighbors and you sometimes invite [them] to dinner and they recognize immediately between them. They realize that an individual puma has already given me or invited me to have dinner at her table.

So now I invite her to my table and they are interacting more than we thought. So actually, we have seen here groups of ten or twelve Pumas, different Pumas, females with cubs,  independent cubs from other litters. Adults, males, all of them interacting in a kind of peaceful way.  This also opens another book for the pumas, because you realize that they have, uh,  cognition. They are able to recognize other individuals and make decisions based on their previous experiences.

So, let’s say if you shared a carcass with me and then I have a kill, it’s more probable that I share my carcass with you than with other unknown pumas.  So they realize that you already, uh, gave me food and made the decision based on the previous experiences. They make a society. It’s not a society, but..

Brooke: It’s like a network.

Nico: Yeah, they know each other. It’s kind of a neighborhood.  So that is super interesting.

Imagine that – pumas remembering past positive interactions and choosing to share meals with specific individuals. Picture a feline social network, complete with preferred dinner companions. This discovery extends beyond academic interest – it proves crucial for conservation. Because these cats form complex social networks and maintain territories, they’re more likely to stay in areas where they feel safe. This predictability makes sustainable puma tourism possible.

Conservation Challenges Across Borders

But here’s where the Route of Parks of Patagonia vision we discussed in our last episode faces one of its biggest tests. While puma tourism is booming around Torres del Paine, creating new opportunities for conservation, the situation looks very different just a few kilometers away. Cross into Argentina, and you’ll find yourself in a place where it’s legal to kill one puma per week per hunter. Even within Chile, ranchers outside the park’s influence are still losing livestock to pumas.

Nico:  In Argentina, you have ranchers who hate the pumas. Now, actually, there’s a law that allows to kill one puma per week, per hunter.

Brooke: What? That’s crazy! 

Nico: So, if you cross the border, like, 40 meters away from the national park—the pumas are not protected. Inside Chile, they are killed illegally, but outside, it’s legal to kill pumas.

So, you are working with a species that has a big distribution. Subpopulations need to communicate. You can have a place, a national park, plus some branches that are protecting the pumas, but you are still creating an island. 

You need this island to be connected with other islands, and hopefully make landscapes of conservation where you can find some ranches that are doing tourism and other ranches that are not doing tourism. They keep doing ranching and they are not perceiving losses because of pumas. So, how do you help those ranches?

Innovative Conservation Solutions

That’s exactly the question at the heart of the Route of Parks of Patagonia vision. How do you balance conservation with local livelihoods across an entire landscape, not just within park boundaries? Panthera’s work offers some promising solutions to this challenge.

 Nico: [The] main goal of this project is to find ways for the coexistence between human activities and the conservation of Pumas. 

In this place where we are now, in Torres del Paine and surrounding, yhe two main activities that are related with pumas are tourism and ranching.  So, we are working with tourism,  finding ways to regulate and making protocols for safe puma tourism.  Safe both for Pumas and for people. That is one of our main goals regarding tourism, to make it more, in a more responsible way.

Because right now, tourism is being adapted on the way they’re not being like thought in the beginning, since the beginning and being planned. There is no planning thus far, so we need to stop before it explodes.  So our goal is to start working in this, to make safer puma viewing and more responsible puma viewing in the area.

Part of our work here is to working with the local ranches. So, how to find non-lethal ways to protect the livestock. So, one of them is encouraging the ranches to work with livestock guardian dogs. We are working with some ranches who are now working with those dogs — with Cerro Guido in Chile, in Argentina, with La Sofía Ranch.  They are both using these livestock guardian dogs to protect the sheep.  

The other way we can implement some other methodologies towards the coexistence is through other kind of deterrents. In this sense, we are developing with the university, the Universidad del Desarrollo of Chile.  We are designing a sound and light derrent for predators. We are in the prototyping stage of designing this. And the idea is to test them on the field with pumas, and ranchers who have problem with pumas.  

Another thing we are doing is in partnership with WCS, certifying. It’s through eco labels.  We are working with wildlife friendly eco-label. So our goal here is to certifiy that some enterprises are doing their job, their activities, in a way that are more responsible with their environment, not only with carnivores, but also with birds, with the water, they are taking care of the territory where they are doing their activity. 

So this is another way to work together with the local ranches in different coexistence activities that can lead to a benefit to the ranchers themselves. So that’s the way you need to think is you need to think a way that the rancher also get benefited.

Changing Hearts and Minds: Beyond Legal Protection

One of the most innovative examples unfolds at places like Estancia Cerro Guido, where traditional ranching now combines with conservation and tourism. These forward-thinking ranches demonstrate that maintaining Patagonian pastoral traditions can coexist with protecting the predators that make this ecosystem unique. It’s a modern echo of how indigenous communities once managed these landscapes, showing that economic success and wildlife conservation can complement rather than conflict with each other.

True coexistence demands more than technical solutions – it requires transforming hearts and minds. As Nico told me, success means moving beyond merely stopping people from killing pumas; it aims to foster pride in having these magnificent cats share their land.

Nico:  Coexistence, I think, is the long way to getting to longerm conservation of the ecosystem and of the species. But this is the way that I think that will last for a longer time, because we have been trying this from laws that avoid the hunting, but you can still see puma hunting legal or illegal. There are still people unhappy that hate the puma. So the law doesn’t change. You need people to be proud of having puma on their properties.

How do you do that? How to change the set of mind? This cultural way of thinking on local people could lead to having less pressure on pumas or any kind of carnivore.  So that’s big loop and the good way of going into coexistence is to change in people behavior, but through their way of thinking, their perception, their cultural meaning.

Sitting there in Nico’s living room, watching the sun set over the fjord while we talked about the future of puma conservation, I reflected on how this story embodies everything the Route of Parks of Patagonia strives to achieve. Beyond protecting beautiful places, the initiative transforms how we live with wild nature. The pumas of Torres del Paine serve as teachers, showing us new ways to share our planet, one valley at a time.

Estancia Cerro Guido: Where Theory Meets Practice

The morning sun was shining bright when we turned onto the long drive leading to Estancia Cerro Guido, a 100,000-hectare testament to what’s possible when traditional ranching meets modern conservation. To put that size in perspective, imagine a piece of land nearly twice the size of Torres del Paine National Park itself.

A 100,000-Hectare Living Laboratory

As we pulled up to the historic main house, built in the early 1900s during Patagonia’s sheep ranching boom, I couldn’t help but think about how this place embodies the transformation we’re seeing across the region. For generations, this estancia, like most in Patagonia, saw pumas as the enemy. Every lost sheep was a reminder of the ongoing conflict between ranching and wildlife. But today, Cerro Guido tells a different story.

The property manager greeted us warmly and led us into a comfortable front room dominated by a beautiful rolling fireplace. We settled into chairs surrounded by large windows that framed a breathtaking panorama of sweeping grasslands with the famous three towers of Torres del Paine rising majestically in the distance. As we were offered both rich coffee and traditional mate tea, our host shared the fascinating history of the estancia and a perspective that bridges old and new Patagonia. The estancia has evolved beyond simply operating as a ranch, we learned as we later toured the beautifully restored buildings. They’re demonstrating the possibility of maintaining a working estancia while nurturing a thriving wildlife population.

Preserving Gaucho Culture: The Soul of Patagonia

This vision encompasses preserving the rich gaucho culture that has defined Patagonian ranching for generations. Gauchos – the skilled horsemen of South America’s grasslands – emerged in the 18th century as nomadic, free-spirited riders who mastered the art of working with horses and cattle across the vast plains. While Argentine gauchos might be more famous globally, Chilean gauchos developed their own distinct traditions, tools, and techniques adapted to the region’s challenging terrain.

During our tour, we learned that the gauchos represent the soul of Patagonia. Their knowledge of the land, their horsemanship, and their traditions of self-sufficiency are skills evolved over centuries to thrive in this demanding environment. The estancia believes preserving this cultural heritage holds equal importance to preserving the natural landscape.

This cultural preservation manifests in many forms at Cerro Guido. The estancia maintains traditional horseback riding techniques, sheep-herding practices with dogs, and the distinctive gaucho attire – including the signature beret-like boina, the comfortable bombachas (loose-fitting trousers), and hand-crafted leather accessories. They’ve even developed experiences where visitors can participate in authentic gaucho activities like horseback riding, shearing, and working with sheep dogs.

Our tour included a traditional gaucho asado (barbecue) lunch – a feast that has been the centerpiece of estancia life for centuries. Lamb was slowly roasted over open coals, prepared with techniques passed down through generations of gauchos. The meal was complemented by cassis sours, a regional specialty made with black currants grown right on the property in their carefully tended gardens.

Food, we discovered, forms the centerpiece of the estancia’s cultural identity. The asado transcends mere mealtime – it fosters community gathering, storytelling, and celebration of connection to the land.

Conservation in Action: Camera Traps and Monitoring Systems

Preservation at Cerro Guido extends well beyond cultural traditions. The estancia has established a dedicated foundation with comprehensive programs for both natural and cultural heritage conservation.

This commitment translates into action. Cerro Guido stands among the pioneering ranches working with Panthera to test innovative solutions for living alongside pumas. Remember those livestock guardian dogs Nico mentioned? Here’s where they’re proving their worth. We watched as massive white Pyrenean Mountain Dogs patrolled among the sheep, their presence alone enough to make pumas think twice about approaching the flocks.

We learned that these dogs have transformed their operation. They function as non-lethal deterrents that protect the livestock while allowing the pumas to remain in their natural habitat.

The foundation’s biodiversity conservation extends beyond these guardian dogs. They’ve implemented an extensive camera trap monitoring system throughout the property, strategically placing cameras near rocks, ravines, and hill edges where pumas are likely to pass. These cameras operate 24 hours a day, recording 30-second videos that allow researchers to identify individual pumas.

They’re also experimenting with innovative technology like “Foxlight” deterrents – devices that emit random flashes of colored LED lights at night, simulating human presence and keeping predators at bay. These solar-powered units represent another non-lethal approach to predator management.

Transforming Wildlife from Liability to Asset

What distinguishes Cerro Guido truly is their transformation of wildlife from liability into asset. The same pumas that once brought only losses now attract wildlife photographers and tourists from around the world. The estancia offers puma tracking experiences that rival those in the national park, but with an added dimension – visitors witness conservation working on private land, where wildlife and livestock needs require careful balancing.

Later that afternoon, we took a drive through the property’s vast grasslands. A Southern grey fox trotted across our path, and guanacos watched us from distant ridges. These animals serve as more than scenic additions to the landscape – they provide evidence of a healthy ecosystem supporting the complex food web that pumas need to thrive. 

A Model for the Future

The success of places like Cerro Guido opens an intriguing possibility for the future of the Route of Parks. Perhaps conservation pathways need not always run through national parks. Private lands could potentially form crucial corridors between protected areas, creating a truly connected landscape where both wildlife and traditional ways of life flourish.

As we concluded our visit and prepared to depart, I reflected on how Cerro Guido represents something larger than itself. It demonstrates that conservation succeeds when embracing both ecological and cultural dimensions. In an age of unprecedented environmental challenges, perhaps this estancia in the heart of Patagonia reveals a more holistic way forward – one that values both natural ecosystems and the human traditions that have evolved alongside them.

Final Thoughts & Looking Ahead

There’s something powerful about watching the sun set over Torres del Paine. As the light fades, the boundary between national park and private ranch disappears. In that moment, you can see these landscapes as they truly are – one connected ecosystem where pumas don’t recognize our human borders.

My time here has revealed something remarkable: conservation extends beyond protecting pristine wilderness. Success comes through reimagining our relationship with wild places and the creatures that call them home. From the innovative research being done by scientists like Nico, to the transformation happening at places like Cerro Guido, Patagonia pioneers new ways for humans and wildlife to thrive together.

Project Patagonia: A Partnership with Panthera

My encounter with Rupestre and conversations with Nico have shown me that we’re at a crucial moment for puma conservation in Patagonia. That’s why I’m launching Project Patagonia, a partnership with Panthera to support their vital work in human-wildlife coexistence. When you contribute to Project Patagonia, you’re not just helping protect pumas – you’re supporting innovative solutions that help ranchers protect their livestock, funding research that helps us better understand these amazing cats, and ensuring that local communities can benefit from wildlife conservation. To learn more about how you can be part of this groundbreaking work, visit rewildology.com/projectpatagonia. Together, we can help ensure that future generations will still have the chance to look into the eyes of a wild puma and feel that same sense of wonder I felt when I met Rupestre.

Next Time

Next time on Rewildology, we’ll journey to the literal end of the Americas to witness conservation history in the making as one of Chile’s newest national parks takes shape. We’ll explore the unique marine ecosystems where dolphins play and whales migrate, meet the dedicated conservationists creating this coastal sanctuary, and discover how protecting the meeting point of two great oceans could reshape our understanding of marine and terrestrial conservation. Join me as we stand at the southernmost tip of continental America and glimpse the future of the Route of Parks of Patagonia.

Until then, I’m Brooke Mitchell, and this has been another adventure on the Route of Parks of Patagonia. Remember, in a world that sometimes seems to be losing its wild edges, places like this remind us of what’s possible when we give nature a chance.

Join Project Patagonia

Before I go, I want to invite you to become part of something bigger than just this podcast. This series is actually one pillar of a larger initiative called Rewildology’s Project Patagonia – where conservation truly meets adventure.

Project Patagonia is built on three key elements: Listen, Experience, and Protect.

You’re already participating in the first pillar by listening to this podcast series. Over the next eight episodes, we’ll journey together through the remarkable Route of Parks of Patagonia, uncovering stories of conservation challenges and triumphs.

But if you’re inspired to go deeper, you can join us in the field for the second pillar – Experience. In April 2026, I’ll be leading a small group of just ten people on an unforgettable expedition to track pumas and explore the majestic mountains of Torres del Paine National Park. This intimate adventure includes expert-led puma tracking, meetings with conservation researchers, hiking through breathtaking landscapes, and even kayaking to the magnificent Grey Glacier. You’ll literally follow in the footsteps of the stories you’re hearing in this podcast.

The third pillar – Protect – is where your passion can translate into direct conservation impact. Through our partnership with Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, your support helps fund crucial work to protect pumas and their habitats throughout Patagonia. Your donations help bridge divides between fragmented habitats, develop solutions for human-wildlife conflict, implement wildlife corridors, and support cutting-edge research.

Whether you choose to listen to this series, join our expedition, make a donation, or all three – you become part of a community dedicated to preserving one of Earth’s most spectacular regions.

To learn more about Project Patagonia and how you can get involved, visit rewildology.com/projectpatagonia. Together, we can ensure that the Route of Parks of Patagonia continues to thrive for generations to come.