The Natural Monument of Milodón Cave (Cueva del Milodon), is located to 14,91 mi to the north of Puerto Natales. The Natural Monument of Milodón Cave is formed by three caverns and a rocky conglomerate denominated “Chair of the Devil”. The greater one of these caverns is to 492,13 feet above the sea level and its dimensions are: 98,43 feet tall, 262,47 feet front and 656,17 feet of depth. The scientific interest of the Natural Monument of the Milodón is given by the finding of biological remains such as skin, in good conservation state, in addition to bones, hairs and excrements of an extinct prehistoric animal, denominated like the MILODON (Mylodon darwini), herbivorous of great dimensions that was extinguished, probably, by the end of the Pleistocene, by captain Eberhard, in 1896.
In 1902, the English Hesketh Prichard explored the Patagonia in hope to find the milodón alive. At the moment have been other rests in eaves to 18,64 mi of the place in Pali Aike.
The investigations made possible to determine a survival of the Milodón of about 5,000 years back and confirm the existence of other animals like the Dwarfed Horse, the Saber Tiger and the Great Guanaco denominated Macraucheria. The National Service of Tourism, SERNATUR, through a project of investigation of the antecedents that exist of the Milodón, made a reproduction of natural size of this herbivorous, which is exhibited. The area of the of Milodón Cave, complements with a rock of 164,04 feet of height, denominated “Chair of the Devil” and with a cavern of smaller dimensions called “Small Cave”.
Before arriving at the of Milodón Cave, the access road goes through the “Chair of the Devil”, name that comes from the given popular imagination to a rocky structure with certain aspect of certain armchair of which it tells that it was “seat” of the Milodón and that the legend transformed into “devil”. The area of the Natural Monument of Milodón Cave is a zone controlled by the Forest National Corporation, CONAF, where in the day-care center it will receive complete information on the place. In the Natural Monument of Milodón Cave there are places of picnic, very frequented by the Native inhabitants of Puerto Natales.
The Milodón Cave is a natural accident in the western slope of the Benítez Hill. This Cave can be crossed in all its extension. In its access there is a replica of the Milodón, constructed by the National Service of Tourism, SERNATUR.
Besides the historical importance, scientific and cultural that the Milodón Cave area stands, it also offers an attractive landscapes and natural life. The steppe and the forest, and its typical flora ñire, calafate and romerillo are native in this area.The animal wildlife is abundant, especially in birds.
In the area of the of Milodón Cave there are other caverns of minor size, some with stalactites and where human remains have been found which approximate data borders the 11,000 years of antiquity.
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