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desert fox, zorro culpeo, Cerro Tololo, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, CTIO, Región de Coquimbo, Chile, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday: Asleep at the Atacama view

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At the southern edge of the Atacama desert is an arid region in Chile called Norte Chico (“near north”) which includes the administrative regions of Coquimbo and Atacama. From 1996 to 2011, I spent plenty of time in these “foothills” to the Andes, particularly on the mountains Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachón at an altitude of 7500 and 9000-feet, respectively. In any season, the views are unbeatable under clear skies. We’re often reminded we aren’t alone in the desert-mountain landscape, as indicated by the presence of the sleeping “zorro culpeo” (desert- or Andean-fox) in this view facing east. This little guy is no bigger than a shoe box, and despite their wild untamed nature, they’ve figured out where to pick up food left out by the bipeds (re. kitchen staff).

I made the photo above with a Canon Powershot A510 camera on 23 June 2007 at Cerro Tololo. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-57h.

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12 Responses to “Fotoeins Friday: Asleep at the Atacama view”

  1. budgettraveltalk

    Good Photo. He looks bigger than a shoebox so I am glad you mentioned his size. A beautiful landscape for sure.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • fotoeins

      Hi, Jan. I sometimes forget to inform the reader/viewer about the size of things; it’s important to clue into the fact that these desert foxes are similar to small dogs in size. Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!

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    • fotoeins

      Hi, Corinne. The thing about these desert foxes is that one can’t help but feel a tug of the heart, that all you want to do is go up, sit next to them, and give them a hug. But they’re wild creatures, and if they’re hungry, they’ve been known to leave nasty bites. It’s a reminder, often unheeded, to leave well enough alone. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!

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    • fotoeins

      Hi and thanks, Nancie. Desert foxes occasionally come around to the dorms/canteen at the Cerro Tololo observatory. And yes, our buddy there looks very comfortable in late-afternoon light. Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comment!

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