The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) filed a complaint with the PDI and the Public Prosecutor's Office over the mistreatment and killing of a female puma and her cubs in the Cochamó commune, Los Lagos Region. The case, which sparked outrage after videos surfaced on social media, involves unknown individuals who tortured the animals and dumped their bodies in the Puelo River. The species is protected by law, and those responsible face criminal and administrative penalties.
The incident took place in the Segundo Corral sector of Cochamó, where a group of individuals chained a female puma, beat her, and killed her, repeating the act with her cubs before discarding the remains in the Puelo River. The group Defendamos la Patagonia raised awareness of the event via Instagram, underscoring the cruelty against protected felines in one of Chile's last wild rivers. “Neighbors report that they kill these protected felines and then throw their bodies into the river like garbage, into one of the last wild rivers in Chile,” the NGO posted.
On Tuesday, the SAG submitted the complaint to the Environmental Crimes Brigade (BIDEMA) of the Investigative Police (PDI) and the Public Prosecutor's Office to identify those responsible. SAG's local director, Francisco Briones, stressed that hunting, capturing, or eliminating pumas violates law No. 19.473, and the mistreatment could constitute an animal cruelty offense. “Both actions are serious and carry administrative and criminal penalties, as established by current regulations,” Briones stated.
The official urged the community to report irregularities through SAG's official channels for timely oversight. “As a service, we reaffirm our commitment to the protection and safeguarding of the region's and country's wild fauna. Acts of this nature not only harm a protected species but also damage the ecological and systemic balance of the territory,” he added. This case highlights the vulnerability of wildlife in natural areas like the Los Lagos Region.