National Geographic: Spitting Mad - Wild Camel of the Andes Page #3

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meat off the tough carcass.

The caracara also has a family to feed,

so scraps are taken back to its nest.

Two chicks are the norm,

but conditions are so harsh

in these wind-swept mountains

that food is difficult to find.

So in most nests,

only one chick will survive.

Life is tough in the mountains.

And the short summer

is a vital time

in the lives of local animals.

Guanacos are no exception.

It's breeding time,

a male guanaco's most

challenging time of year.

The females in his family group

are now in breeding condition,

and the territory-holding male

has a job to do.

He must not only sniff

out those females

that are ready to mate

he must also ensure

that other males are kept out.

With aggressively lowered head,

he dashes around,

marking his territory

by adding to dung piles

scattered around the real

estate he calls his own.

Each pellet contains his scent

and announces ownership

to other nosy males.

Only he is allowed

to use these territorial markers,

so if another male has

the nerve to drop

dung on one of his piles,

it is a serious insult.

This intruding male must be

driven out of the territory

before it can get access

to the females.

But, as he's determined to stay,

the manure really hits the fan.

These battles for females

can be exhausting,

the combatants galloping for miles

across the hills.

With the landlord away at war...

...other males may try to mate

with his females.]

And while the cat's away...

But it's important

that everyone does mate

during the same few days.

And every male wants a

slice of the action.

But some young guys

never get the footwork right.

When the territory owner returns,

the young guy could be beaten to death,

but only if he gets caught.

The landlord means business,

so the cheating youngster

is literally running for his life.

The outcome of such a battle

is often worse than broken bones.

If a puma spots his injury,

he could make an easy meal.

If the young guy is

to stand a chance of surviving,

he needs a place to hide.

And fortunately for him,

guanaco society provides

just such a sanctuary...

...a sort of bachelor's club

between the family territories

where dispossessed males can gather.

And if he finds one of these areas

before a puma gets him,

he will be allowed to join

without having to fight for his place.

He is still not safe from puma attack.

But many pairs of eyes

give greater security

while his wounds heal.

The other members are males

who've lost territories

or young males evicted

from family groups.

And apart from eating,

the most important activity is play.

It is here that young males

learn the language

and ritual of combat.

They engage in playful

bouts of sparring

to win status in the hierarchy.

But as they get older,

they develop the strength and skills

for serious fights.

Most members will go through

two or three years

of cheerful neck chewing

before fights become serious.

And by then,

the mature males

are ready to leave the group

and try to win a territory

of their own.

But they may have to wander the hills

alone and homeless for months on end.

And other big changes

are in the air, too.

Nights are growing colder.

Autumn mists fill the valleys.

Life is getting harder.

Tougher conditions mean family groups

join together to wander

in search of food...

...much to the annoyance

of the territorial males

whose backyards they invade.

With autumn's glorious colors

in full bloom,

the herds move around even more,

forcing the pumas to track them during the day

so they can hunt hem

during the night.

Like the guanacos,

pumas also hold territories

as much as 60 square miles

for a female like this,

but often larger for a male.

Guanaco real estate

is divided into much smaller areas.

So the national park feeds

about 2,500 guanacos,

and they in turn

feed about 25 pumas.

But all this is about to change.

Real hardship is about to strike.

Winter is sweeping down

from the mountains.

Death travels with the wind.

Blizzards and deep snow

make survival increasingly difficult.

Most of the birds have fled.

Almost everything else

has to move, too.

Guanacos, foxes, pumas

- all search desperately for food.

And in their search,

the guanacos' hooves

leave a scent trail,

making it easy

for the pumas to follow.

In the guanaco's mass exodus

from their summer range,

the migrating family groups

coalesce into large herds

and the pumas must stay close,

both mother and cubs.

Survival hangs in the balance

for both predator and prey.

But the guanacos

are forced to migrate

through unfamiliar terrain,

so the pumas have the advantage.

And, if they are skillful,

they can maneuver

into a position of ambush.

To add to their problems,

the guanacos have to

migrate into areas

where conditions

seem particularly bad.

But this is one

of nature's classic contradictions:

it is here that fierce mountain winds

below some of the snow

off grass and shrubs,

making it easier

for guanacos to feed.

But starvation is always a threat.

If severe weather persists,

It can take a heavy toll,

to the benefit of the little gray foxes.

If they have already exhausted

their buried supplies of meat,

they are relegated to

digging for frozen insects.

But they don't ignore

the threat from pumas,

it's quite the opposite.

The foxes actually trail the cats,

Waiting for them to provide

a larger meal.

And they may be lucky.

Condors also monitor the guanaco herds.

For this is an easy time for scavengers

as well as killer cats.

Weakened by hunger,

guanacos can be easy prey.

And the puma

has killed one on the cliff

and dragged it down

into the valley below.

She has partially covered it with snow,

but with the threat of thieves

from above,

she must cover the carcass

more carefully.

Huge front paws

shovel snow effectively,

but an even better deterrent

against the condors and foxes

is her presence,

and that of her waiting cubs.

The cats can be seen easily

in the snow,

so the hungry cubs will have to wait

until nightfall to enjoy their meal.

For they're still at risk

from other hungry cats

That could be hiding nearby.

So once the female has covered the carcass,

They will all gather nearby

to stand guard.

But deep snow

makes traveling difficult,

even with the benefit

of outsized paws.

With meat stored in the freezer,

the puma family's immediate future

is assured...

the guanacos' future, too.

For winter's last full moon

is waning.

As the sun releases winter's icy

grip on the land,

the guanacos hurry back

to their summer territories.

The males reestablish their ownership

of prime real estate,

and once again

they turn their attention to females

to their lust meadows.

And with spring at hand,

the park becomes a mecca for wildlife.

The year has come full circle.

Large flocks of upland geese

and their fluffy chicks

join the guanacos.

And within a few weeks,

females will drop the

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