So you’ve decided to go to Torres Del Paine. Likely you’ve seen the pictures of the granite “Torres”, or towers. Perhaps you’ve decided to hike the famous “W trek”. But did you know there’s lots of wildlife to be seen at Torres Del Paine National Park in Chile? Read more to find where you can find the Torres Del Paine animals, and what types you might see.
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Where to find Animals in Torres Del Paine National Park
The best places to see wildlife if at the eastern part of the park. We saw so many animals and birds on the drive from the municipality of Torres del Paine (the border town with Argentina at the Paso Río Don Guillermo border) up Y-150, Y-156, and Y-160 to Laguna Azul, then head to Amarga on Y-166 and &-156. You will see lots of birds in the ponds on the way from Amarga visitor center to Laguna de los Cisnes. We saw very little wildlife west of there. If you want to see more animals and have a beautiful drive, it’s also well worth it to do the detour on Y-180 out to Laguna Verde.
We had some awesome chances to see animals during our two days in TdP. All pictures in this post were taken by me with my Lumix Superzoom FZ80 point and shoot.
How to See Animals in Torres Del Paine
Many of you will be on a long hike or on a tour bus, but the best way to see wildlife is to have your own rental car and keep your eyes open for anything that moves! I’m sorry to say if you’re doing one of the multi-day hikes, like the O or W trek, you will NOT see much wildlife. I spoke to several people that did the W trek around the time of my visit and they exclaimed that they had seen a few condors circling once… the only wildlife they saw in the 5 day hike. You will see more wildlife from a bus, but they will only stop a few times. So the best way to see birds and animals is by renting your own car.
With your own car, you can stop as frequently and as long as you want. If driving yourself, it is recommended you keep your speed as low as 40-60 km an hour, especially after dark, so you don’t kill any of the wildlife. No one wants to see road kill. Also note that all of the roads in TdP are gravel so make sure your rental agency shows you the location of the spare tire and jack.
Types of Torres Del Paine Animals
Guanaco
The most common mammal to see in TdP is the Guanaco, the Patagonian cousin of the Llama and Alpaca. They are also called the Patagonian Camel. These caramel colored animals are located all over southern Patagonia but they are very prevalent in the eastern side of Torres del Paine park. They are very photogenic – they seem to like to pose as well!
Foxes
There were lots of foxes along Y-150 from the municipality of Torres del Paine to the park border. Watch for them in the grasslands, hunting for mice.
Armadillo
There are a few Armadillos around, you are most likely to see them running across the road, or dead on the road.
Skunks
I’ve smelled (dead) skunks a number of times in my life, but I had never seen one alive until Patagonia, where we spotted one in the early morning and another at dusk. I was most amazed by the tail… I did not know how fluffy it was (probably thanks to watching Pepe Le Pew as a kid).
Dangerous Animals at Torres Del Paine
There is only one animal at Torres Del Paine that is really dangerous to humans… the Puma. We were both lucky and unlucky in that we didn’t get to spot a puma during our visit. One guy staying at our guesthouse in Puerto Natales had seen a Puma on a rainy day before our visit, somewhere between Laguna Azul and Amarga. If you do encounter a puma, you should “act big” by waving your arms and not running from the puma.
Birds You May See at Torres Del Paine
We saw a number of birds around Torres Del Paine, but there are 7 birds that were very distinctive:
Southern Crested Caracara
This scavenger is common to hang out near dead animals and picnic grounds. This particular guy stole some cheese puffs from us at the picnic grounds at Laguna Azul.
Black-Faced Ibis
Have you ever seen a beak like this? It’s shaped so they can extra insects from grasslands.
Andean Condor
The Andean Condor is one of the largest flying birds on earth, with a wing span of up to 11 feet! We had seen a number of them circling overhead at various points around the park. But the biggest highlight was seeing many of them up close and personal at the site of the Guanaco carcasses. The condors sat and watched us closely, with the view of snowy peaks in the background. Eventually, they flew away as we could see their massive wingspan.
Flamingo
Flamingos are seen in many spots around Patagonia, and they tend to stay in the same lakes or ponds (for example, we’d see ponds with no flamingos, we pass the next day and no flamingos. We’d see other ponds with flamingos, and they’d still be there days later). Within the park we saw Flamingos at Laguna Azul and Laguna de los Cisnes.
Upland Goose (or Magellan Goose)
These geese are very common in Patagonia and almost are always in pairs, the black and white male and the black and brown female.
Black-Necked Swan
This swan is the largest water fowl in South America. Some of the best places to see these are at the appropriately named Laguna de los Cisnes (Swan Lagoon), and the small lakes and ponds to east of there. You can also find many of these on the waterfront at Puerto Natales.
Rhea
I’ve been to Africa a couple times and I’ve seen Ostriches in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and Ethiopia. The Rhea is South America’s version of the Ostrich. They are about half the height, but they look and run a lot like an Ostrich, but with brown feathers. The first time I saw a Rhea, I wasn’t sure if it was a bird or not… my friend was joking that I saw a four-legged bird, since the color of the Rhea is similar to the sheep that live in Patagonia. My biggest highlight was discovering a Rhea with 8 Rhea babies along the road to Laguna Verde.
Our National Geographic Moment
On our second morning in the park, we decided to drive the Y-180 towards Laguna Verde. It was a less traveled part of the park. Not far into the drive, I noticed a bunch of large birds ahead. We stopped the car, grabbed our cameras, and started approaching stealthily. As we got closer, we could see it was Andean Condors eating from a carcass and some Southern Crested Caracara waiting their turn. We were watching in amazement as a fox trotted right in front of us and over to the carcass. The birds, including the condors, scattered. The condors said and watched but eventually decided that fox wasn’t leaving so they flew north. After the fox has its fill, we went closer to discover the carcass was not only a Guanaco, but also a newborn Guanaco baby, one of the first of the season. The rangers at the visitor center said it was likely a puma killed them. Not even a mile later was where we encountered the Rhea and her 8 babies.
Where to Stay at TdP
If you’re staying in the park at one of the hotels, expect to pay upwards of $500 USD a night per room! If you have a car, it is possible to stay in Puerto Natales (Check Rates and Availability) and drive back and forth, but it is a long drive each day. But… if you take the eastern route in and out of the park, you’re likely to see a bunch of wildlife!
Do you like wildlife? Check out these other posts of amazing wildlife destinations:
Theodore Roosevelt National Park (USA) Wildlife
Grizzly Bear Viewing in Bute Inlet, Canada
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1 comment
Great reporting. Thanx!