Thermal camera captures footage of a puma hunting sheep in the wilds of Patagonia, thwarted by a timely rescue from a pack of dogs.
In a clip from the National Geographic program “Animals Up Close With Bertie Gregory,” viewers witness dogs preventing a puma from attacking a flock of sheep in the pitch-black wilderness. This is the first time such behavior has been recorded using thermal imaging and drones, according to Live Science.
Puma targeting a flock of sheep on a farm. (Photo: National Geographic).
In the segment titled “Patagonia Puma,” Gregory, a National Geographic explorer, and his film crew arrive in the remote mountainous region of Patagonia in southern Chile. Their goal is to document the life of the puma (Puma concolor) and the challenges they face, including coexisting with farmers who often kill pumas that hunt livestock.
In a video filmed at a sheep farm in the dead of night, Gregory and his associate Sam Stewart utilize thermal cameras and drones to observe in the darkness. At the mountain’s peak, they spot a puma stealthily descending the slope, targeting the unsuspecting flock of sheep. The sheep are completely unaware of the puma’s presence. The puma easily leaps over the farm’s fence and positions itself to strike, but the dogs detect the danger and begin barking loudly. With no other option, the puma retreats and jumps back over the fence to escape up the hill.
Puma hunting has been illegal in Chile since the early 1980s; however, it still occurs on private land. Conservation projects are working with farmers to implement non-lethal sheep protection measures, including fencing, tracking collars, and guard dogs like Maremma and Great Pyrenees, which are robust breeds with thick, long fur suited for the cold conditions of Patagonia.
The footage from National Geographic demonstrates the effectiveness of the dog pack. “If farmers shoot pumas, their territory will quickly be taken over by another nearby puma, and the problem continues. At a farm that used to kill 100 pumas each year, after using sheep guard dogs, the farmers only lost two sheep,” Gregory stated.
