The Tale of Seven Pumas: Number 7

Pumas are solitary animals, by and large, unlike African lions, and we do not think of them as sharing their food with the larger community. It turns out this is not true.

The fourth puma, who we nicknamed Goldie, was hanging around Petaca and her cubs, and she had not eaten. Angelo told us that the female was familiar, living in the same area, and quite possibly a distant relative. He said that the mother would probably let her feed eventually, but not till she and the cubs were done. Since they were all asleep we nipped back to the vehicle for a quick coffee, and while we were there Goldie made her move. These photos are taken from further away and are not great but they tell the story. She circled around to the far side of the kill:

and grabbed a first bite:

Petaca arrived.

Watch Goldie’s body language in the next few shots:

But as Angelo had predicted, once she had made her point Petaca let Goldie eat:

She settled next to the kill so Goldie couldn’t drag it away:

though she shifted it just enough so that you can see the poor guanaco’s head:

Petaca even fell asleep.

Something in the distance attracted their attention:

Replete, Goldie moved a little way off, and groomed.

Here’s a video:

Petaca stayed next to the kill, ever vigilant:

Eventually, all the pumas had left the kill. Even Petaca moved away, lurking in the bushes and watching us carefully as we headed for our vehicle:

What a privileged morning. And the last of our pumas.

PS Puma coat color varies quite a bit, from the golden color of Blondie, to the gray of Petaca and her cubs, to the tan of Dark. They never have markings, hence the scientific name Puma concolor, meaning ‘uniform color’.