Vicuña
Vicuñas, who are related to camels and llamas and live high in the South American Andes, are exploited for their wool, which is the most expensive material used to make clothing in the world.
The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every 3 years. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's fur is very soft and warm. It is understood that the Inca valued vicuñas for their wool, and that it was against the law for any but royalty to wear vicuña garments.
Both under the rule of the Inca and today, vicuñas have been protected by law. Before being declared endangered in 1974, only about 6,000 animals were left. Today, the vicuña population has recovered to about 350,000, and while conservation organizations have reduced its level of threat, they still call for active conservation programs to protect population levels from poaching, habitat loss, and other threats. The vicuña is the national animal of Peru; its emblem is used on the Peruvian coat of arms representing the animal kingdom.
From the period of Spanish Conquest to 1964, there was unrestricted hunting of the vicuña, which reduced its numbers to only 6,000 in the 1960s. As a result, the species was declared endangered in 1964 and its status prohibited the trade of vicuña fibre. In Peru, during 1964-1966, the Servicio Forestal y de Caza in cooperation with the U. S. Peace Corps, Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and the University of La Molina, Lima established a nature conservatory for the vicuña called the Pampa Galeras Refugio para Vicuña. During that time, a Game Warden Academy was held in Nazca where eight men from Peru and six from Bolivia were trained to protect the vicuña from poaching. The estimated population in Peru increased from 6,000 to 75,000 with protection by game wardens.
Currently the community of Lucanas conducts a Chaccu (herding, capturing and shearing) on the reserve each year to harvest the wool, organized by the National Council for South-American Camelids (CONACS). The wool is sold on the world market for over $300 dollars per kilo, to help support the community. In Bolivia the Ulla Ulla National Reserve was founded in 1977 partly as a sanctuary for the species. Their numbers grew to 125,000 in Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Since this was a ready “cash crop” for community members, the countries relaxed regulations on vicuña fibre in 1993, enabling its trade once again. While the population levels have recovered to a healthy level, poaching remains a constant threat, as does habitat loss and other threats. Consequently, the IUCN still supports active conservation programs to protect vicuñas, even though they lowered its status to least concern. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified most populations as threatened, but still lists Ecuador's population as endangered
Both under the rule of the Inca and today, vicuñas have been protected by law. Before being declared endangered in 1974, only about 6,000 animals were left. Today, the vicuña population has recovered to about 350,000, and while conservation organizations have reduced its level of threat, they still call for active conservation programs to protect population levels from poaching, habitat loss, and other threats. The vicuña is the national animal of Peru; its emblem is used on the Peruvian coat of arms representing the animal kingdom.
From the period of Spanish Conquest to 1964, there was unrestricted hunting of the vicuña, which reduced its numbers to only 6,000 in the 1960s. As a result, the species was declared endangered in 1964 and its status prohibited the trade of vicuña fibre. In Peru, during 1964-1966, the Servicio Forestal y de Caza in cooperation with the U. S. Peace Corps, Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and the University of La Molina, Lima established a nature conservatory for the vicuña called the Pampa Galeras Refugio para Vicuña. During that time, a Game Warden Academy was held in Nazca where eight men from Peru and six from Bolivia were trained to protect the vicuña from poaching. The estimated population in Peru increased from 6,000 to 75,000 with protection by game wardens.
Currently the community of Lucanas conducts a Chaccu (herding, capturing and shearing) on the reserve each year to harvest the wool, organized by the National Council for South-American Camelids (CONACS). The wool is sold on the world market for over $300 dollars per kilo, to help support the community. In Bolivia the Ulla Ulla National Reserve was founded in 1977 partly as a sanctuary for the species. Their numbers grew to 125,000 in Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Since this was a ready “cash crop” for community members, the countries relaxed regulations on vicuña fibre in 1993, enabling its trade once again. While the population levels have recovered to a healthy level, poaching remains a constant threat, as does habitat loss and other threats. Consequently, the IUCN still supports active conservation programs to protect vicuñas, even though they lowered its status to least concern. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified most populations as threatened, but still lists Ecuador's population as endangered
Vicunas were hunted nearly to extinction but conservation methods have rescued this shy, graceful animal. Though still considered endangered, in 2002 the United States government allowed importation of vicuna garments from Peru. The garments carried with them certification that the fiber was legally obtained through a government sanctioned chacu – the process by which vicunas are rounded up, sheared alive and returned to the wild. The animals cannot be sheared for at least another two years.
To obtain their wool, wild vicuñas are typically herded into a V-shaped "funnel trap." This process is terrifying for these shy animals. Panicked vicuñas have even been known to break their necks during herding by crashing into fences. Their ears are then tagged, without the benefit of painkillers, before the animals are restrained and shorn with electric clippers. The shearers usually only leave the hair on the animals' bellies and chests, which isn't enough to protect them from the extreme heat and cold of the Andes.
To obtain their wool, wild vicuñas are typically herded into a V-shaped "funnel trap." This process is terrifying for these shy animals. Panicked vicuñas have even been known to break their necks during herding by crashing into fences. Their ears are then tagged, without the benefit of painkillers, before the animals are restrained and shorn with electric clippers. The shearers usually only leave the hair on the animals' bellies and chests, which isn't enough to protect them from the extreme heat and cold of the Andes.