National Geographic: Spitting Mad - Wild Camel of the Andes Page #4

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and hunting skills,

but they also seem to be

just enjoying themselves.

Their mother must recover the carcass,

for it will feed them

all for at least two more nights.

At the first hint of dawn,

the female leads her cubs

back to the den,

barking instructions

to hurry them along.

It's important they are back

in a safe place by daylight,

and the sun is rising fast.

Once the pumas are back at their dens,

the guanacos come back downhill

to the food-rich meadows

they abandon at night.

Joining them is a wealth of wildlife

that floods into the park

during the spring and summer.

Many wildfowl breed here,

including graceful black-necked swans

and the chest-patting ruddy duck.

There is food for all,

especially guanacos.

And though summer is a time for plenty,

the park lies in the wildest extremity

of South America.

And the weather cannot

be taken for granted.

Guanacos must take good care

of their soft woolen coats.

So dust bathing is a daily ritual.

Keeping them in tip-top condition

could mean the difference

between life and death.

For even in summer,

icy winds and snow

can blast down from the mountains.

Winds of 100 miles an hour

have been recorded here.

And driven by these raging winds,

freezing snow showers

can be a killer.

When the weather has

been particularly brutal,

the undertakers of the air

are never far away.

Most chulengos are born around midday.

For those that are born late

have little chance

during hostile summer storms.

And once hypothermia sets in,

death follows quickly.

There is nothing

the distressed mother can do.

The condors will hang on the wind

until a chulengo is still.

But its mother is hesitant

about defend it.

Perhaps she's intimidated

by the condor's impressive bulk.

Only when the condors

begin eating her dead offspring

does she muster enough courage

to chase them away.

Her defense is in vain.

Gray foxes scavenge dead meat, too,

and their hunger

makes them aggressive.

Though some of the meat

will be eaten now,

it is vital to store

some of the scraps for use

in harder times.

So these caches of meat

are hidden underground.

In the dead of winter,

they'll return for

their long-buried meal-

if they can find it.

Summer can be an easy time for foxes.

And like most predators,

their cubs are raised

on the misfortune of others

not just dead chulengos and

the remains of puma kills,

but eggs, birds,

and lots of beetles.

Foxes can raise up to

five cubs each summer.

And though puma-killed guanacos

are an important source of food,

pumas also kill foxes.

So it's best to keep out of sight.

Killing isn't always

a big cat's priority.

Eating a guanaco on

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