The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) or vicugna^[2] 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 and has to be caught from the wild. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's fur is very soft and warm. It is understood that the Inca valued vicuñas highly 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,^[1] 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.

Description

The Vicuña is considered more delicate and graceful than the Guanaco, and smaller. A key distinguishing element of morphology are the better developed incisor roots for the guanaco.^[3] Its long, woolly coat is tawny brown on the back while the hair on the throat and chest is white and quite long. The head is slightly shorter than the guanaco's and the ears are slightly longer. The length of head and body ranges from 1.45 to 1.60 m (about 5 ft); shoulder height from 75 to 85 cm (around 3 ft); weight from 35 to 65 kg (under 150 lb).

To prevent poaching, there is a round up every year, and all vicuñas with fur longer than 2.5 cm are shorn.

Vicuñas on road to Tatio Geysers. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

Distribution

Vicuña in the Humid Pampa of the Argentine Altiplano

Vicuñas live exclusively in South America, primarily in the central Andes. They are native to Peru, northwest Argentina, Bolivia and north Chile, and there is a smaller, introduced population in central Ecuador.^[1] Peru has the largest number.

Habitat

Vicuñas live at an altitude of 3,200 to 4,800 metres.^[1] They feed in daytime on the grassy plains of the Andes Mountains, but spend the nights on the slopes. In these areas, only nutrient-poor, tough bunch grasses and Festuca grow. The sun's rays are able to penetrate the thin atmosphere producing relatively warm temperatures during the day; however, the temperatures drop down to freezing at night. The vicuña's thick but soft coat is a special adaptation which traps layers of warm air close to its body so it can tolerate freezing temperatures.

Behavior

The behavior of vicuñas is similar to that of the guanacos. They are very shy animals, and are easily aroused by intruders, due, among other things, to their extraordinary hearing. Like the guanacos, they will frequently lick calcareous stones and rocks, which are rich in salt, and will also drink salt water^{[citation needed]}. Their diet consists mainly of low grasses which grow in clumps on the ground.

Vicuñas live in family-based groups made up of a male, 5 to 15 females and their young. Each group has its own territory of about 18 km², which can fluctuate depending on the availability of food.

Mating usually occurs in March–April, and after a gestation period of about 11 months, the female gives birth to a single fawn, which is nursed for about 10 months. The fawn becomes independent at about 12 to 18 months. Young males will form bachelor groups and the young females search for a sorority to join. Along with preventing intraspecific competition, this also prevents inbreeding, which can cause a population bottleneck in endangered species as observed with cheetahs.

Relationship with humans

Domestication

Until recently it was thought that the vicuña was not domesticated, and that the llama and the alpaca were both descendants of the guanaco, a very closely related animal. But recent DNA research has shown that the alpaca may well have vicuña parentage.^[4] Today the vicuña is mainly wild, but the local people still perform special rituals with these creatures, including a fertility ritual.

Conservation

Vicuña, Chimborazo (volcano), Ecuador

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.^[5] The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified most populations as threatened, but still lists Ecuador's population as endangered.^[6]

Vicuña wool

A vicuña on rocky terrain

The wool is popular due to its warmth. Its warming properties come from the tiny scales that are on the hollow air-filled fibres. It causes them to interlock and trap insulating air. At the same time, it is finer than any other wool in the world, measuring 12 micrometers in diameter,^[7] but since it is sensitive to chemical treatment, the wool is usually left in its natural color.

However, the vicuña will only produce about one pound of wool a year and gathering it requires a certain process. During the time of the Incas, vicuña fibres were gathered by means of communal efforts called chacu, in which multitudes of people herded hundreds of thousands of vicuña into previously laid funnel traps. The animals were sheared and then released; this was only done once every four years. The vicuña was believed to be the reincarnation of a beautiful young maiden who received a coat of pure gold once she consented to the advances of an old, ugly king. Because of this, it was against the law for anyone to kill a vicuña or wear its fleece, except for Inca royalty.

At present, the Peruvian government has a labeling system that identifies all garments that have been created through a government sanctioned chacu. This guarantees that the animal was captured, sheared alive, returned to the wild, and cannot be sheared again for another two years. The program also ensures that a large portion of the profits return to the villagers. However, annually up to 50,000 pounds of vicuña wool are exported as a result of illegal activities. Because of this, some countries have banned the importation of the fibre to save the animal. And although it is possible to commercially produce wool from domesticated vicuñas, it is difficult because they tend to escape.

As of June, 2007, prices for vicuña yarns and fabrics can range from $1,800 to $3,000 per yard. Vicuña fibre can be used for apparel (such as socks, sweaters, accessories, shawls, coats, and suits) and home fashion (such as blankets and throws). A scarf costs around $1500 while a man's coat can cost up to $20,000.

References