Results 1 to 16 of 16

Thread: Pantanal Puma

  1. #1
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default Pantanal Puma

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I am posting this photo from my recent trip to Brazil's Pantanal more from a wildlife-interest point of view than from a technical-photographic POV. Unfortunately I had some flash settings wrongly set and that gave me problems getting razor sharp images.

    Still - what a sighting ! Our excellent wildlife guide used a call of a female puma in oestrus to bring this male closer. When we first saw him he was at least 100m away. When I took this photo he had walked to within 10m !

    My first ever Puma encounter. A real adrenaline moment.


    Tech Details:
    Canon 7D + 400 DO f4 & 1.4x ; ISO 1000

  2. #2
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Auranagabad ( MS ) India
    Posts
    12,833
    Threads
    766
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    This must be first wild puma on BPN , Big time congrats ,PS ,
    You rocked wildlife forum on BPN with three incredible images
    TFS

  3. #3
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the great comments Harshad. After the puma sighting my wife and I just bubbled over. So exciting to see such a gorgeous cat so close.

    Frankly I am quite shocked to hear you say that my puma photo might be the first ever wild puma shown on BPN. I am so sad to hear such a thing.

    Sadly there seems to be confirmation on another post where I asked BPNers where I could go to see wildcats in N.America ( http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...415#post613415 ).

    The response was 'Nowhere'.

    I really have to chastise Americans for this. Despite hunting in Africa - in the past and present - we still have areas where big cats can live without fear of hunting. Not just big cats - but also servals and caracals can be seen in our protected areas. Same story in India - where tigers, leopards, lions and jungle cats can all be seen with relative ease.

    I would be so pleased to hear of any projects where habituated American cats are being used to bring in eco-tourists. You would be amazed at the 'monetary' value the cats would have. People from all over would come to see and photograph pumas, bobcats and lynx. Its about time the balance of hunters to non-hunters was evened out.

  4. #4
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Auranagabad ( MS ) India
    Posts
    12,833
    Threads
    766
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by philperry View Post

    Frankly I am quite shocked to hear you say that my puma photo might be the first ever wild puma shown on BPN.
    At-least I have not seen any wild Puma on BPN , I may be wrong but that's seems to be remote possibility

  5. #5
    BPN Member Morkel Erasmus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    14,858
    Threads
    1,235
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    wonderful sighting here Phil and sorry you had your settings bumbled up :)
    it is indeed sad to think of the state these cats are in...I also cannot recall ever seeing a photo of a wild puma on BPN?
    Morkel Erasmus

    WEBSITE


  6. #6
    ldelacruz
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by philperry View Post
    Thanks for the great comments Harshad. After the puma sighting my wife and I just bubbled over. So exciting to see such a gorgeous cat so close.

    Frankly I am quite shocked to hear you say that my puma photo might be the first ever wild puma shown on BPN. I am so sad to hear such a thing.

    Sadly there seems to be confirmation on another post where I asked BPNers where I could go to see wildcats in N.America ( http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...415#post613415 ).

    The response was 'Nowhere'.

    I really have to chastise Americans for this. Despite hunting in Africa - in the past and present - we still have areas where big cats can live without fear of hunting. Not just big cats - but also servals and caracals can be seen in our protected areas. Same story in India - where tigers, leopards, lions and jungle cats can all be seen with relative ease.

    I would be so pleased to hear of any projects where habituated American cats are being used to bring in eco-tourists. You would be amazed at the 'monetary' value the cats would have. People from all over would come to see and photograph pumas, bobcats and lynx. Its about time the balance of hunters to non-hunters was evened out.
    You can see them in Texas at Big Bend National Park. A friend of mine got frame filling shots while walking a trail. www.pbase.com/dennissweetman

  7. #7
    BPN Viewer Steve Canuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5,444
    Threads
    444
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Here's a wild one previously posted here on BPN.
    http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...tat&highlight=

  8. #8
    Lifetime Member Rachel Hollander's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    NYC
    Posts
    14,320
    Threads
    929
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Another great sighting. Often the excitement of such an unusual sighting makes us forget to check our techs. Still congrats on a successful trip.

    Pumas/Cougars/Panthers/Mountain lions are also in the greater Yellowstone National Park area and in the hills above Los Angeles as well as other places out west but they often prove elusive. My understanding is that they are very territorial and thus spread out over their range so it is a lucky photographer who photographs one (or even sees one) in the wild. Additionally, I think there is still a population in Florida as well.

    TFS,
    Rachel

  9. #9
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks everyone for the great comments. Thanks also for the pointers to where I might go to see some pumas.

    But for big cat photo trips I really need somewhere with reliable sightings. When I go to certain parks in Africa or India I know that I will get some photos. Long distance travel is expensive and so reliability of sightings is a major factor in where to go. Of course nothing is guaranteed in nature - but it is a great shame that N.America seems unable to offer reliable cat sightings anywhere. I recently went to Brazil to see jaguars - and was not disappointed. I had waited for years until the reliability of seeing jaguars was more predictable. And was rewarded with great jaguar sightings.

  10. #10
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Idelacruz I have just checked out your friend's photo from Big Bend. A great picture from what must have been a really exciting sighting. To see and photograph a puma in daytime that close must have been brilliant. Thanks for the link.

    My picture was, of course, a night-time shot.

  11. #11
    ldelacruz
    Guest

    Default

    You have got some great photos on your site! What a variety of big cats! If you ever want to photograph small dogs I would recommend going to Beverly Hills, CA. Very strange but Coyotes are everywhere in Beverly Hills.

  12. #12
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for the tip Idelacruz. I do also do dogs ! African wild dogs and jackals are among my favourites. Okay so they are not quite amazing as cats - but still great fun. In fact I think I will post my favourite jackal photo later today.

  13. #13
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Smithville,Tx
    Posts
    400
    Threads
    58
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    That's awesome Phil! I never would have thought of seeing a mountain lion/puma in the Pantanal. That just makes me want to go even more:cool:

  14. #14
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Yeah I was terribly lucky Jeff. I had an excellent guide. We saw the Puma at Pouso Alegre a cattle ranch in the northern part of the Pantanal. Pumas are seen there a bit - but you would certainly need the tape recording to get a close view.

  15. #15
    BPN Viewer
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    1,032
    Threads
    64
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks for sharing this wonderful sighting Phil.

  16. #16
    Lifetime Member philperry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Swaziland, Africa
    Posts
    263
    Threads
    25
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    No problem Hendri. Too exciting not to share !

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics