23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Huting

Chile’s Torres Del Paine is famous for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to a fierce predator - the puma. These majestic creatures primarily feed on guanacos. However, the hunting success rate for pumas is not very high, especially for female pumas. They primarily rely on the abundance of guanacos for their survival. It’s a rare treat to see a puma hunting right in front of you. We followed a female puma for a few days, and she had two adorable cubs who depended on her to bring them food. In this particular early morning, she had been keeping a guanaco close by for a while, and finally, she had the chance to get close enough to jump on it. She tried to pull down the guanaco a few times, and she was really close to biting into the neck and suffocating the guanaco ..

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2025
Date Uploaded: 10.2025
Photo Location: Chile
Copyright: © Kevin Shi