Milodon Cave Natural Monument

In 1895, German explorer Hermann Eberhard discovered the preserved skin and remains of an enormous creature while investigating a cave near Puerto Natales, Chile.  The carcass was that of a giant ground sloth (Milodon darwinii) that roamed the Patagonia region of Chile 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.   The remains were so “fresh” that some thought the animal might still be alive in the area.  However, analysis of the skin revealed it to be 10,200 to 13,560 years old.

When alive, the prehistoric creature weighed nearly a ton and was covered with thick, reddish-brown fur.  It was over ten feet tall with a long tail for balance and an extended snout.  The animal had long claws to cling to rocks and flat, horse-like teeth to grasp plants and roots.  It could stand on its haunches to eat leaves from tree branches.  The Milodon is an ancestor of present-day armadillos, anteaters, and sloths. 

The site comprises three caves.  The largest — the Milodon Cave — measures 98 feet high, 164 feet wide, and 650 feet deep.  Newly forming stalactites cover its ceiling.  Within the entrance, a life-sized replica of the giant prehistoric creature, built in 1978, greets visitors to the cave. A small, adjacent museum provides information about the giant sloth, Eberhard, and his discovery.  (The British Museum in London has the actual specimen.)

The remains of other extinct creatures found in and near the cave include Hippidion, a dwarf horse; Macrauchenia, the prehistoric llama; and Smilodon, a saber-toothed cat.  Information panels about these animals line the pathway to the cave.  There is also evidence, including primitive tools and human remains, that early humans used this and nearby caves for shelter more than 8,000 years ago. 

The site was declared a historical monument in 1968, and a national monument in 1993.