During my trip to Rio Gallegos, the most southern city of my country in its continental land, I visited Monte Leon National Park. It was the windiest day possible, blowing more than 100km/hour... but we enjoyed the same, even it was almost impossible to take pictures... We saw plenty of guanacos (Lama guanicoe), penguins, seabirds but the star was a puma! (or mountain lion). It was in a hill, at 30 meters from us. He saw us with surprise (the same feeling that all of us felt!!) and calmly started to move in front of our minibus, crossing the road, stopped again to watch us and climbing a small hill, giving us a last look. We were frozen,
nobody took a picture!! There are plenty of pumas in the park, and there are signs to keep the visitors aware of them, but we´ve never imagined we could see one so close! It was a dream to see this amazing vey big cat!
At the visitor center, a small guanaco (we named them "chulengos") that was saved after his mother was killed by a car outside the park was waiting to "play" with people. He is a male and start to jump and push everyone... The rangers have tried several times to move him with the wild ones at the park, but like a boomerang, he has always found the way home again...
Let me introduce you "Chule", the chulengo or little guanaco and a few wild ones
Mirta
