combined as protected land. when it comes to rewilding, patagonia is leading the way. european settlers and their voracious sheep may have laid waste to patagonia s vast grass lands. but further up in the andies, others have lived in balance with the land for generations. this mountain is home for this family. their pastures are a few hours
more than ten million sheep graze the patagonia grass lands. if pumas symbolize the region s wild races, it is horse riding ranches that personify its frontier spirit. but these two patagonian icons have had their issues. [ speaking foreign language ]
unchecked, devastating fragile grass lands. but in this family, things are very different. the size of the herd is surprisingly stable. staying between 110 and 120 animals. the valleys wildlife should remain in balance, proof that nature works better with more hungry predators. but the puma isn t the only animal doing its part for the ecosystem. another more unusual creature is
up through the highlands, from its foothills to its volcanic plateaus, all the way up to its high ice fields. our journey begins on the grass lands on the patagonia step, at 1,500 feet. here one predator reigns supreme. the puma. this big cat roams all of the americas. you might know it as a cougar, a mountain lion or even a panther. in patagonia, with no bears or wolves to trouble them, pumas are the top predator, and they