I was reassured with the comment that the puma is a territorial animal and only attacks if a certain virtual boundary is crossed. I waited for our guides to examine the traces to determine whether the puma was present or not. In fact, they began to sniff the air all around and jointly decided that the animal was not there and that we could approach without fear. In our own civilization, we have somewhat forgotten to use our sense of smell as a source of information and of defense.
