Wrapped in scarves and coats, our little group of hikers hunkers down behind lichen-covered boulders. The freezing wind is not so intense here, and we are less likely to be seen by our intended subject: a female puma and her pride of sub-adult cubs. We’re confident they’re nearby – our guide has told us they frequent this mountainous area often. Also, there’s a small herd of long-necked, llama-like guanaco glowering intently down into an inaccessible cleft in a nearby cliff face.
One of the animals screams as if it has just seen a monster.
