In this blog, Panthera Puma Director Dr. Mark Elbroch explores the differences between pumas in Patagonia and North America, and how the rugged terrain of Torres del Paine affects this species’ genetic diversity.
© Mark Elbroch, Nico Lagos & Panthera
Not all but many pumas living in and adjacent Torres del Paine National Park in Chile look distinctive. Those of us who are only familiar with pumas in North America might go so far as to call them odd. Many Torres pumas have smaller eyes relative to their faces, narrower, squatter snouts, and longer than typical ears as compared to northern pumas. They sometimes lack the black stripes outlining their muzzles, and their coloration is generally grayer as well. Regardless of what you think about their appearance, they are generally very easy to identify while sifting among the copious images of pumas now flooding the internet.
Torres del Paine: A Habitat for Pumas at the End of the World
Torres del Paine is without doubt the premier place in the world to visit to see and spend time with wild pumas. Every major network has visited the region in recent years to make puma films, and professional and amateur photographers flock to the area to capture that which is so difficult across most of the Americas. And yet, some people have speculated that Torres Pumas may have suffered inbreeding during the era of intense puma persecution, during which Torres del Paine National Park acted like an island protecting remaining pumas. Could the world’s most photographed pumas be unhealthy, and if so, what could we do to help them?