Wildlife viewing in Patagonia

The name Patagonia originates from the namePatagonThe name, given by the famous explorer Ferdinand Magellan, refers to the indigenous people whom his expedition mistakenly thought were giants. The Argentinian part of Patagonia includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cruz, and the eastern part of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago.

The Chilean part of Patagonia includes the southern part of Valdivia, Los Lagos on Lake Llanquihue, Chiloé, Puerto Montt, the archaeological site of Monte Verde, the bays and islands south of Aisén and Magallanes, including the western part of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. This region is home to a great variety of rare wildlife.

mountain lion

The mountain lion is a species of cat that lives in many areas of North America, Central America, and South America. Some of its local names include: mountain lion, mountain leopard, or mountain cat. In Patagonia, mountain lions are most commonly found in the Diego Araya region.

Bagual Wild Horse

In the Torres del Paine valley of Patagonia, the wild Bagual horse population numbers over 100 individuals. They gather in herds for survival, protecting each other and fending off the claws of mountain lions. Visitors to Patagonia can join scientists or local guides to learn more about the lives of this rare wild animal.

Magellanic penguin

Magdalena Island in Patagonia is home to approximately 120,000 Magellanic penguins. They typically nest between mid-September and early March of the following year. The breeding season for Magellanic penguins falls in January.

Globally, Magellanic penguins live in coastal areas of Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil. Magellanic penguins are medium-sized penguins, standing between 61 cm and 76 cm tall and weighing between 2.7 kg and 6.5 kg. Adults have a black back and white belly, with two black stripes between the head and chest, the lower stripe forming an inverted horseshoe shape.

Young Magellanic penguins have a bluish-gray back, with a lighter bluish-gray streak across the chest. They can live up to 25 years in the wild and over 30 years in captivity.

Humboldt's skunk

The Humboldt skunk is a species of skunk native to open grassland areas in the Patagonia region. Humboldt skunks are primarily insectivorous, but they also consume vertebrates, such as rodents and carrion, in the winter when insects are less common. These animals are very fast, and visitors should bring binoculars for closer observation.

Guanaco camel

The Guanaco is a species of camel native to South America, with a shoulder height of approximately 107 to 122 cm and a weight of around 90 kg. Its body coloration varies very little (unlike the llamas), ranging from light brown to dark cinnamon, with a white belly. Guanaco camels have a gray face and small, straight ears. The name guanaco originates from wanaku (formerly pronounced huanaco) in Quechua, an ancient South American language.

The Phong