Discovering Patagonia's Pumas
In Discovering Patagonia's Pumas, host Simon Reeve and his guide embark on a hike through Patagonia, searching for the region’s biggest cat — the puma. While pumas can be found across the Americas, Patagonia has one of the highest concentrations of these elusive predators. They spot a herd of guanacos, which are often hunted by pumas, and use a heat-seeking scope to track the big cats. Soon, a family of three pumas are found, offering a rare glimpse into their world. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
Lesson Express
Q: Why is the presence of guanacos significant when searching for pumas in Patagonia?
A: Guanacos are significant because they are the primary prey for pumas. When a herd of guanacos is spotted, it suggests that a puma might be nearby, as pumas often hunt these animals for food.
Q: How does using a heat-seeking scope help the guides and Simon find the pumas?
A: The heat-seeking scope detects warm-blooded animals by picking up their body heat. This allows Simon and his guide to spot pumas, even when they are hidden or camouflaged in the landscape.
Q: What might the presence of up to 100 pumas in the area indicate about the ecosystem of Patagonia?
A: The large number of pumas in the area suggests that Patagonia has a healthy ecosystem with a stable population of prey for the pumas. It also highlights the importance of protecting the natural balance in the region to ensure that both predators and prey can thrive.
More Like This
In Pumas: Learning From Mother, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes rare footage that shows pumas, “the lions of the Andes,” out in the open as a group. Four young pumas learn from their mother how to hunt for food as she stalks her prey by moonlight. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Patagonia's Pumas Shape the Wild, host Simon Reeve explores Torres del Paine, a national reserve in Patagonia. His guide explains how pumas play a crucial role in the ecosystem, leaving behind kills like guanacos for other animals like foxes, condors, and armadillos to survive. However, climate change is pushing guanacos out of the wilderness and onto farmland, leading to conflicts as farmers try to protect their livestock from pumas. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In Pumas: Learning From Mother, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes rare footage that shows pumas, “the lions of the Andes,” out in the open as a group. Four young pumas learn from their mother how to hunt for food as she stalks her prey by moonlight. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Patagonia's Pumas Shape the Wild, host Simon Reeve explores Torres del Paine, a national reserve in Patagonia. His guide explains how pumas play a crucial role in the ecosystem, leaving behind kills like guanacos for other animals like foxes, condors, and armadillos to survive. However, climate change is pushing guanacos out of the wilderness and onto farmland, leading to conflicts as farmers try to protect their livestock from pumas. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.