The big puma fungus, Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis, is a mysterious species of underground fungi found in Chile’s Nahuelbuta Mountains. It was initially discovered in the 1980s but was recently rediscovered by an expedition team from the Fungi Foundation and Fundación Nahuelbuta. This remarkable find marks the first rediscovery of a fungi species through the Search for Lost Species initiative, which aims to locate species that haven’t been sighted in at least a decade.

With the support of the MBZF, the expedition team embarked on a journey to the temperate forests of the Nahuelbuta Mountains in May 2023, following the footsteps of Chilean mycologist Norberto Garrido, who first documented the big puma fungus in 1988. The expedition was meticulously timed to coincide with the exact dates of Garrido’s original exploration over 40 years ago.

During their expedition, the team discovered a small mushroom on the first day that shared several characteristics with the big puma fungus. However, it was too tiny to definitively identify in the field. Despite searching for nearly six additional days, no similar mushrooms were found.

It was on the last day of the expedition, during a community hike led by the Fungi Foundation, that two local participants stumbled upon a group of approximately four mushrooms that perfectly matched the description of the elusive Big Puma Fungus (Austroomphaliaster nahuelbutensis). The rediscovery was confirmed through DNA analysis in the laboratory, bringing a thrilling conclusion to the six-day expedition and shedding new light on this enigmatic species.