My first encounter with Blinka was several years ago when I traveled to Patagonia to photograph a female puma with four small cubs. This was the time that my guide had sent me an email saying that the puma they call “Rupuestre” was bringing her 7-week-old cubs out of the den and that BBC was filming it.
On one of our outings, we hiked up quite a distance looking for Rupuestre, but she was nowhere to be found. However, that was the day that I first saw Blinka. My friend and I had followed her up and around a mountain and back down to the shoreline as she covered a lot of ground looking for food. Our guides say Blinka was around 3 months old when she lost her right eye. She is also missing a fang on her blindside. It is remarkable that she has been able to hunt and to provide food for herself and also for her reputed four litters.
Currently, she has two cubs approximately 9 months old. They are all well fed and at 6 years old Blinka remains a force to be reckoned with. In one of the documentary films, it shows Blinka fighting Rupuestre and Blinka clearly won the fight.
My group and I watched Blinka tenderly care and look after her cubs. She even shared a meal with another puma’s younger cubs. During this sharing time Blinka gently licked one of those young cubs in a caring way; it was heartwarming to watch.
I now feel a special bond with Blinka as I’ve gotten to know her a bit. She is a strong cat and a fighter who has overcome tremendous adversities. I wish her well in the next half of her life. I hope to see her on a mountain in Patagonia with another litter of cubs in the near future.
Blinka with her large, male cub. She adored this cub.
Blinka and her cub.