Puma stalking and killing a Guanaco in Torres del Paine National Park, southern Chile

This video is not for the faint of heart. It shows a female puma stalking a guanaco (Patagonian relative of the llama), charging, and making the kill. The video was shot by my daughter just outside of Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile. The guanaco was probably twice as big as the puma. It was an awe-inspiring site - cruel, but it was nature in action and the circle of life. You can see the stealthy puma moving in at about 28 seconds into the video, and the charge begins just before 2 minutes. This trip was organized by Natural World Safaris through the Chilean group Quasar. We had a fantastic guide, Cristian Asun Miller, and amazing tracker, Roberto Donoso, and their great expertise enabled us to see almost 10 pumas total in a four day adventure! See also photos of mine at: timbuktoophotos.com/chile.html

[@evertonmiranda2004]

Extraordinary. No edition, no silly music. Just awesome moment in nature. Congratulations.

[@orangehillcomics7830]

Addition?

[@nearlydead6986]

@@orangehillcomics7830 I think he meant No editing

[@zamolxezamolxe8131]

err... not for the prey. was not awesome for that. lol

[@stoneeh]

And plenty of camera shake and unnecessary commentary.

[@markmiller2210]

Say that Everton! I agree! This was good footage.

[@ADVENTURESOFBZ]

Absolutely incredible!!!! The puma is so stealthy that even though the cameraman knew it was there it still snuck in without being seen!!! Incredible

[@sighfly2928]

This video is insane. I thought you were being sarcastic because the cameraman turned away at the wrong moment but he had the puma in shot from the start. I had to pinch to zoom in and only saw it move once or twice between the bushes. I think the gradient of the land makes it much harder for us to see because the grass is hiding it.

[@ADVENTURESOFBZ]

@@sighfly2928 absolutely, and the puma uses that gradient to it's advantage obviously. Freakin incredible

[@daszieher]

​@@sighfly2928 what most don't know, the camera actually reveals the animals better. In person, they are harder to see. I've had this experience in Kenya (cheetah and giraffes of all animals) and in Chile (guanacos) You have to lay still and observe to be able to see them.

[@dougllaz6267]

Yes, that's true, Good point

[@lovemcurvy3126]

If those people weren’t distracting that Guanaco it prob still be alive

[@michaelwesterland1853]

I watched closely but did NOT see the puma until it jumped, amazing footage, great photography, so lucky to film this. Thank you! 👍

[@Ze_Moose]

Yeah me too! Asking myself "Where's the puma" until it was too late

[@matthewjohnson1211]

I’ve watched A LOT of nature “animal vs animal” videos and thought I was fairly jaded -but that life or death struggle was incredible!

[@dougllaz6267]

Yes, pumas are great fighters and Hunters for nature

[@lancemorin3967]

That cougar got slammed repeatedly and never gave up until she got what she wanted. Incredible battle and incredible footage, thank you for this video.

[@banderas2000]

fr. once has to eat one has to live. no "rules" just raw nature.

[@adnan9520]

Cougars are known to not being afraid of being smashed

[@pietropes1322]

The strength of the Puma is incredible to hang on like that!

[@maumyranda]

Best puma video ever! The guanaco must be at least 4 times heavier than the puma. What a powerful cat! And it is female! 😳😳😳😳

[@c3bam1]

How do you know it’s a female? 🤣😂😂😂

[@McCracken216]

@@c3bam1 It uses she/her pronouns. #followthescience

[@maumyranda]

@@c3bam1 the puma has no balls...Watch the videos 10 times, you won' t see them! 😃

[@slobama]

What difference does it make if it's male or female? It's an animal making a kill.

[@pajeetsingh]

@@McCracken216Best answer. Just checked her Linkdin.

[@teddyjackson1902]

What an ice age landscape and interaction. Thank you to all involved.

[@opal7558]

Hahahah 👍

[@djkid22]

Definitely one of the most amazing shots I've ever seen of nature! WOW! I'm not even sure I've seen a Guanaco before! He's such a huge animal and seeing that puma jump that high to grab it's neck is insane! Thanks for your post!

[@eddiespaghetti1451]

@Kris Green you’re very cute ❤

[@jayhache5609]

@@eddiespaghetti1451 Delete this.

[@gmaker69]

Lamas

[@phoenixarizona472]

pumas can jump up to 15 ft

[@David-cx4wy]

The rawest capture of nature i have seen in a while. The power in the neck of the guanaco?! Slamming a full grown puma into the ground repeatedly like its life literally depended on it! Edge of your seat stuff and a really impressive encounter. Thank you for posting.

[@jayjacobl4667]

and even more power from the cougar too! holding on through that sorta roller coaster ride while being trampled a few times too.

[@bcccl569]

you should make a short out of this, it'll go viral. once in a lifetime shot for sure.

[@rushinroulette]

true!

[@bidenisasnake9932]

Up your braindead shorts.

[@herbthompson8937]

Shorts are gay and should never be monetized

[@NEKORID]

Absolutely

[@GrowBetterOnYoucrap]

It's 3 minutes long. Twitter has ruined attention spans and turned the internet into a waste land of 20 words or less 30 seconds or less. No context to be found.

[@mateosantiago]

Notables imágenes. Es raro lograr grabar a un puma cazando. Realmente fue todo un acierto lograr captar ese fenomenal momento. Gracias.

[@johnjozifek7910]

That was the best hunt footage I've ever seen ... unbelievable how tenacious that puma was in bringing down an animal 3× bigger ... terrific footage !

[@steely10]

The Puma took on prey at least twice its size, paid for it dearly, but eventually earned its prize. Awesome video.

[@S0ulinth3machin3]

that's very impressive that you spotted the puma when the guanaco did not. Congratulations. That was a fantastic sequence. The puma was amazingly stealthy. And for a split second the guanaco was free, but it didn't realize it in time and the puma recovered and re-attached before the guanaco ran. 24-1/2 years ago, I was on a self supported mountain bike trip over the Andes with a friend. We saw a motherless guanaco (or alpaca, I don't know the difference) and I told my friend there must be predators around. He pooh pooh'd the notion. Sure enough, that night I was stupid, wasn't feeling good and threw my dinner out. We were visited by a puma, it ate the dinner. I only saw its eyes. They were orange (its eyes reflected light back from my headlamp). At first I thought "alien?!" because it looked otherworldly, but then realized it was a puma. We didn't have guns, but I had a knife. We didn't sleep much that night. It didn't bother us after eating my food. Christmas Eve, 1998, Olacapato, Argentina, right next to the Chilean border. If you call me stupid, you would be correct.

[@SofiaCornejo-ko8jz]

Wow I don't blame you, I'd be scared shitless too

[@fabiansotelo8466]

Impresionante. Tremendo registro. El pumas peleando por su comida, el Guanaco luchando por su vida. No es fácil.

[@ronbo30]

Thank you for not shaking the video so much that we couldn’t watch. Very few videos have a clear STUDY HAND IN VIDEO. 👍👍👍👍

[@johnwhitaker8383]

That Puma is nothing but lithe muscle and sheer determination. Great video.

[@saez.javier]

Csm, afortunadísimos de ver eso en vivo. Aprovecho de compartir porque esto merece que lo veo más gente

[@magnacarta9364]

Thank you, absolutely incredible footage.

[@bryanhaynes6742]

I watch countless wildlife videos. This rates very high. Great footage.

[@piotr4980]

Puma is incredibly strong.

[@83056]

What a great battle. Thanks from Canada.

[@juliusperseus8612]

It's Tough to Be a Predator ! I thought the Guanaco would escape for a moment. Great Catch, Great Video, Rare content.

[@daveclark8337]

But it's even worse to be the prey.

[@juliusperseus8612]

@@daveclark8337 No it's Not.

[@sighfly2928]

If you guys want to see the puma, pause at 0:28 and zoom in slightly to the first horizontal-third of the image. It moves from 0:28-0:30

[@tesfayemammo4481]

I did see that movement already but never saw the puma after that until the jump and there is a long distance up to the prey.

[@Firefly-trike]

Amazing! Cats are so stealth and quick, tenacious and strong pound for pound!

[@chateaupig826]

Breathtaking , I was on the edge of my seat . Bravo to Puma for hanging in there literally 👏 Its a hard won meal when you cant just nip to the shops ❤

[@dimidomo7946]

My thoughts are in sync with yours. The stealthy stalk, attack, strength of the Puma and takedown of the Guanaco stands out, for me, as one the best predator/prey interactions I've witnessed on You Tube. Unbelievable stranglehold and pounding. Thanks for the upload Tim Williams.

[@patienceobongo]

The Puma deserves dinner for that effort!

[@tehjawsome]

100%. On KZbin or anywhere for that matter! Thanks for sharing this truly special moment with the world!

[@maaz322]

Usually the kill is much more elegant with the big cats, but that was a rough tumble. Hard to imagine it performs that every time it's hungry.

[@cali2468]

​​@@patienceobongo They do this day in and day out to survive. It's routine. Like male cougars in the US hunting 4 pt buck.

[@stuff4sale80]

That's why the best athletes choose Puma over Adidas

[@FototrampeoCheck]

Impresionante!!! Tremendo como aguanta cogido a la garganta del animal soportando los golpes. La tenacidad del intento le hizo triunfar. 💪 De los mejores vídeos de caza de felinos que he visto nunca. Ojalá algún día podamos ir allí y grabar para nuestro canal algo parecido. Enhorabuena por el video y muchas gracias por compartir!

[@kenmilne5987]

incredible agility and determination on display. Cats never cease to amaze.

[@ToeTag1968]

Wow! Those body slams were brutal. That's one tough cat and one powerful herbivore.

[@chimereh.achilefu9176]

Great video man! 1st time ever for me seeing a puma make a successful kill on a Guanaco - that animal is just agile & slippery

[@furyofbongos]

Rare to see a video like this that isn't zoomed in too much. Usually we have someone zooming in so close that much of the action gets lost off frame. This happens 90% of the time at least. Keep it zoomed out to get a perspective on things. In real life you don't witness natural events with your face all up into the subject material.

[@patographer]

We're used to seeing African animals engaged in hunting like this. There's miles of footage of lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and hyenas running down prey, but it's rare to see an American beast do it. Excellent.

[@sergionavarrodiaz5747]

In National Park Torres del Paine,Chile, the wild life is protected and there are a natural balance betwen both ,guanacos and pumas Believe it or not guanacos mostly are the winner and survive very healthy in there

[@moehammondmedia]

This isn’t America 🇺🇸 is it?

[@patographer]

@@moehammondmedia South America, with US being in North America. I could have called it "New World beast."

[@ryansneider5121]

The strength and agility of that puma is absolute amazing

[@Brenzzy]

An absolutely stunning sequence. The puma was pummeled but kept hold and withstood an Impressive beating. I wasn’t aware of such vicious power the prey has in its neck. Again, grrrrrreat video…..watching from Hawaii

[@robertwaid3579]

Man oh Man was that some Excellent Footage of the Predator vs Prey scenario. In the early Moment's of that sequence of Shots. I was trying really hard too pick up where the Puma was in the brush? But until it Jumped up,I was never able too Catch where it was? The Stalk, Stealth, and eventual Attack was just Awesome to Witness. The Puma's Coloring was so explicitly exact, that I never could discerne it from the background. Thank You for Sharing that it was Breath taking No Doubt.

[@Darling137]

Just the strength and agility when the cougar is thrown off and yet jumps right up to regain hold of it's neck at 2:06 is quite impressive.

[@willstuart4504]

Fascinating 👏👏👏👏 It's hard to imagine a large Cat like this puma .... taking those repeated Body Slams and not even for a moment consider ANYTHING but continued Attack. Incredible. Every time the Puma got slammed, like lightning... it sprang back up and latched on it's NECK. What a battle... definitely earned that meal. Great piece of work to capture this incredible raw and wild footage. Well done. 👏👏

[@heresmytake2782]

That was very good camera work and footage. Awesome

[@kevinb314]

That Guanaco put up a heck of a fight, but the Puma was committed, and got a great first bite/ grasp Nature is truly amazing, and brutal

[@kendo7704]

Great Video! I am surprised as the guanaco was down wind of the mtn. lion , the female mtn lion took a couple of slams but still showed tenacity. Both animals are amazing.

[@carolynthornton8017]

IN MY VIEW I kept looking for the Puma in the video. Then out of no where...a slight visual of him. He disappears and the chase was on! This is extraordinary footage of the stalking and catching of survival or ending up natures meal. Thank you.

[@jamesmeyer1325]

Even after she was thrown off, more than once, the puma jumped up and grabbed the guanaco again in exactly the same spot. Such lightning reflexes and precise movements - hard to believe!

[@gnp5278]

That was intense....that thing was three times the size of the cat and put up a powerful struggle! I wouldn't be surprised if that puma had a few injuries itself. Great fooatage!

[@albawillliams1417]

indeed the circle of life is tough to watch

[@mikeoglen6848]

But this is Nature.

[@giovanna722]

It is. Nature, "the grand and terrible", as it's sometimes called.

[@Brown_Buffalo]

Man the resilience of that cat it was taking a beating and still hung on.

[@marcoAKAjoe]

Facts

[@airy-mountain]

That bucking stomp, while it only delayed the inevitable in this case, is a pretty effective defence and I'm surprised more prey animals haven't evolved this strategy.

[@cedricsmith8821]

I am amazed by the punishment that puma was willing to endure to make that kill. Nature captured at its rawist ! Well done.

[@reidellis1988]

Amazing that the Puma managed to hold on and avoid those front hooves at the same time. That was Wild. Thanks.

[@luquinbombin]

Thanks to all the people who jobs respectfully with nature and let it flow. Great video.

[@michaelchaleff4986]

That was amazing, not often you get to see Puma's hunt successfully or in this part of the world. Excellent coverage and the strength of that puma was extraordinary. Hope it ate well!

[@thisissparta8884]

Man that cat is crazy. It was knocked off twice and bounced bcak within a second to grab back on. Amazing!

[@veclubby]

What a beautiful arid landscape. Stunning!

[@sergionavarrodiaz5747]

In winter time is worst,snow by everywhere

[@javiervalcan6824]

Torres del Paine national Park Patagonian steppes, cold and pretty windy the whole year round. The pumas have multiplied a lot the last years by hunting powerful guanacoes and many other species, due to better regulations against puma's illegal hunting at the area...

[@powerinvolved-di3vl2yd6q]

The most amazing footage ever. I never knew Pumas could take game that big. Look how it holds on despite the blows to the ground. So much for fighting back with a knife.

[@mikeoglen6848]

It would depend where you could strike with knife/

[@powerinvolved-di3vl2yd6q]

@@mikeoglen6848 But in the heat of self defense, I don't think one can get a good strike. I saw a video the other day where an African lion got impaired by an antelope and still managed the kill it. These animals are too resilient. Never would I go into such woods without a pistol.

[@siggifreud812]

indeed. a normal person does not stand a chance. I bet this female lioness could feed for weeks on the carcass. Incredible footage.

[@DoomZzx]

a pumas diet consists of elk and deer.... all pumas do is kill big deer weighing over 250-300 lbs

[@ronhughes1805]

Amazing photography. We had know idea how big the Quanaco was until the attack.

[@MikeB-1965]

Amazing footage! Cat's are such formidable predators, especially for their size. They can tackle prey that is larger and stronger. This puma took a beating and still got the kill.

[@NaturalWorldSafaris]

Such incredible footage Tim - wow! 😮We are so glad you had such an amazing experience!

[@kadena7262]

Wow, exelente documento visual de la caseria del Puma, espero que no hayan intervenido mas alla.

[@jamesscott4610]

When she jumps up and grabs him on the neck the second time. Awesome. "I'm back on ya'!!"

[@perritochiquitito]

Es de los pocos registros de un puma matando a un guanaco, todos los que había visto eran intentos fallidos, incluso los de la tele. Buen video

[@expeditomendoncajunior8664]

melhor vídeo que eu vi na vida de um Puma!!!!!! Abater um animal deste tamanho é impressionante!!!!!!

[@derrick211000]

What a catch! That is so impressive, the power of both of those animals...

[@AgentRafa]

That's the most impressive thing I've seen in a looong time. That Puma is a badass for sure. Amazing footage, thank you so much for sharing👍

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

In that part of Patagonia is crazy the quantity of pumas living. And very scary.

[@ZacchaeusNifong]

This is the best piece of nature footage I’ve seen in about 10 years. Absolutely astonishing. Clear, uninterrupted, simple. I actually gasped when the mountain lion 🦁 pounced!!

[@dougllaz6267]

Nature is amazing

[@m00nsplitter72]

Captivating footage. I spooled back three times.

[@franciscoceruti4379]

Chilean here. 4 times in Patagonia. Thank you because this a very rare sight. Really enjoyed it.

[@bradleyrobinson7552]

Wow, that's an incredible moment that was captured. Miigwech for sharing.

[@vermicelledecheval5219]

Astonishing !!! This is top level video ❤

[@vangthao4624]

That stealth is just incredible. The land just looks barren, then out of nowhere a big cat pops into frame.

[@megaball-ps8tq]

It’s crazy how the guanaco slammed the puma several times on the ground but the puma kept on pouncing on it. Definitely courageous enough to stand that many hits while taking down an animal much longer than itself.

[@AugustinePM]

Wow wow wow!! Super cool to capture this encounter!!!!

[@robpagliuca4516]

Amazing vid! Thanks for the upload!

[@Nickuzzz]

que increible video, y mas encima me sale en recomendados, ni se por que jajaja saludos.

[@snappymcburpy7629]

This is exactly why so many people go missing in national parks.

[@nelsonromero1901]

Simplemente espectacular vídeo, felicitaciones al autor

[@AcronoCL]

An extraordinarily rare video, it is not common to see a puma hunt, especially a llama. Congratulations

[@donteto]

Guanaco

[@fabbrice]

Congratulations to see an animal kill....your sick

[@BryanPinones-xy5eh]

En chile torres del Paine solo pueden cazar guanacos

[@nevadahiker6661]

Wow, there was so little ground cover, and the puma still managed to sneak up on it! Definitely freaky!

[@paulhomsy2751]

There was plenty of ground cover.

[@kittentalons]

Hard to watch but absolutely incredible capture. Amazing animals both of them.

[@marketwizard1977]

I'm blown away...that was amazing

[@lastEvergreen]

The Guanaco shook the Puma off a couple times but it jumped back on again.

[@andreasjung3612]

Amazing video. You can feel a real connection with Mother Nature. When we truly see and understand the Nature, love is born in our hearts. That is the meaning of love: To be at one!

[@billyyank5807]

That was incredible!! That was a big cat!

[@LULEKOSO]

Certeira e incrível a investida do Puma. Sorrateiro e invisível, anda na ponta das patas.

[@Ras7685]

Really great footage guys .

[@IqbalH016]

This was spectacular 🔥🔥🔥

[@jmbisme]

Amazing video, a true truly rare opportunity to witness!

[@robertoarayaurbina757]

Maravilloso registro....batalla por la vida....

[@nivmhn]

This is incredible footage!! Thank you for sharing.

[@jamesc8722]

Excellent camera work. Spectacular encounter.

[@user-nw1je1ur6t]

This is some fantastic and rare footage

[@crustydog1666]

Tough break for the guanaco, but it was some amazing footage. The way the puma was so determined made me think that she didn't want to miss this opportunity. The prey was under a lot of pressure ,but predators are too, since ,obviously, they'll eventually starve if they keep failing.

[@FearNPanic]

Wrong. It's not equivalent. No one dies from missing a meal.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

@@FearNPanic yea famously animals dont need food to survive

[@FearNPanic]

@@Dell-ol6hb Dummy, they don't die after missing one meal, or two, or three.

[@crustydog1666]

@@FearNPanic I believe starvation is why a lot of animals don't survive during their first year of life.

[@FearNPanic]

@@crustydog1666 You're dodging my statement because you can't accept a fact about nature. Stop letting your ideology run amok. It's just a KZbin video.

[@wymple09]

That cat was incredibly well hidden.

[@mtower235]

Thanks for sharing that. Amazing

[@TheKinnamizzle]

That is unreal. Wow!!

[@sixtosilxtra4842]

Impresionante ! Good video.

[@nordwestpassage]

Amazing video, thanks!

[@userbosco]

Once in a lifetime experience! Amazing! Mother nature is a beast! That will feed the puma, her cubs (if there are any), vultures, and all kinds of critters. Only thing missing was David Attenborough's voice over. :-]

[@Gambimrel]

Definition of commitment right there