2020 puma sightings in Santiago
In a 2020 a series of rare sightings of pumas in the streets of the periphery of Santiago, Chile, were reported.[1] Three pumas were sighted in late March–early April of which two were captured.[1] In September a group of three pumas, including a cub and his mother were sighted in a Precordilleran neighbourhood of Las Condes.[2][3] As of 5 October and the National Zoo had captured ten pumas in Santiago.[4] Also on 5 October, the and the Ministry of Agriculture launched a guide on "what to do and don't do" during and after puma sightings in cities.[4]
According to Juan Valenzuela, sub-director of Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero in Santiago Metropolitan Region there are two hypotheses to explain the sightings.[5] The first one is that pumas have moved into the city as a result of the lockdowns enforced due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile.[5] A second hypothesis relates the sightings of pumas to a scarcity of food in their usual territories.[5]
References[]
- ^ a b "Varios pumas se pasean por las calles vacías de Santiago de Chile". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 3 April 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ "Pumas vuelven a bajar de los Andes para recorrer un barrio de la capital chilena". Reuters (in Spanish). 23 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ "Encuentran más pumas en Santiago, ahora en Las Condes". Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 23 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ a b "¿Qué hacer si hay un puma cerca de su casa?: Gobierno lanza guía ciudadana para el encuentro de fauna nativa en zonas urbanas". La Tercera (in Spanish). 5 October 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ a b c "Atrapan a un puma en Santiago de Chile y buscan más ejemplares". EFEverde (in Spanish). 24 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- Mammals of Chile
- Puma (genus)
- 2020s in Santiago, Chile
- 2020 in Chile
- COVID-19 pandemic in Chile