Description

The Cougar is the biggest feline in Chile, which has gradually decreased due to the rise in human population, and withdrawn to certain sectors of the Andes as well as on the coast where there is no human activity.

The length of adult cougar ranges between 100 and 200 cm without the tail, which can measure up to 83 cm and weigh up to 55 kg. It can be found high up in the mountains where temperatures are low.

With a coat which color vary from silvery-grey to reddish brown with lighter patches on the under body, this mammal was held resposible for the killing of cattle, birds and other species belonging to adjacent properties, for which it has been hunted and banned by the inhabitants -the cougar population in Chile has decreased significantly indeed.

The male cougar is solitary animal with an acute sense of territory: the male can cover thousands of hectares of its territory and have more than one female.

The cougar stands out because of its short-sprint and great leaping abilities, which allow it to live in areas that are highly difficult for man as well as other predators to reach.

Gifted with excelent smell and night vision, the cougar takes advantage of the twilight to find food; just like the felines, it is silent and cautious at the moment of its attack.

The cougar’s diet is varied, although it mainly feeds on hunted mammals such as hares, rabbits and various rodents as the vizcacha. It also includes others mammals of bigger size such as the guanaco and the vicuñas -two species from the Camelid family.