In The Lair Of The Milodón

In a large cave in Southern Chile is a prehistoric site famous for the discovery of a 10,000-year-old giant ground sloth. The park site features a massive 90 foot high, 600 foot deep main cave, alongside the “Devil’s Chair” rock formation and numerous hiking trails.

The sloth called a Milodón at this site, scientifically known as Mylodon darwini, is an extinct species of ground sloth that belonged to the family Mylodontidae and roamed Chile and southern South America during the Pleistocene epoch. This remarkable creature is closely related to modern sloths and could grow to a length of 9 to 12 feet.

This park is one of the most significant sites in the world associated with the Milodón and is called the Milodón Cave (Cueva del Milodón) in Patagonia, Chile. Discovered in 1895, this cave yielded not only the remains of the Milodón, including skin and bones, but also various other prehistoric human artifacts and fossils, making it an important site for understanding the region’s ancient wildlife. Today, the cave serves as a popular destination, attracting visitors interested in its geological and paleontological significance.

The Milodón Cave park is located about 21 miles outside of Puerto Natales on the route going to the Chilean National Park of Torres del Paineo. It requires an admission ticket of about US$25 and most regional tours include a stop at the cave. A link to the cave’s web page HERE.

While Chile has been geologically isolated from the rest of South America there were a number of other megafauna found there in addition to the giant ground sloth. Those megafauna specimens included a large American llama called Palaeolama major and a giant camel-like animal, and they all survived up to about 3,500 years ago…

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