Vicuña
Encyclopedia
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelid
s, 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 alpaca
s, 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.
are the better developed incisor roots for the guanaco. 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.
, northwest Argentina
, Bolivia
and north Chile
, and there is a smaller, introduced population in central Ecuador
. Peru
has the largest number.
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.
stones and rocks, which are rich in salt, and will also drink salt water. 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 cheetah
s.
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.
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, 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.
Current 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.
Camelid
Camelids are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only living family in the suborder Tylopoda. Dromedaries, Bactrian Camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos are in this group....
s, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine
Alpine
The term alpine refers to the Alps, a European mountain range.Alpine may also refer to:- Geography and geology :* Alpine tundra, the biological community that occurs above the tree line at high altitude...
areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
s, which are raised for their fibre. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
, 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
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
; its emblem is used on the Peruvian coat of arms
Coat of arms of Peru
The coat of arms of Peru is the national symbolic emblem of Peru. Four variants are used: the coat of arms per se ; the national coat of arms, or national shield ; the great seal of the state ; and the naval coat of arms .-Description:All four share the same escutcheon or shield,...
representing the animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
kingdom.
Description
The Vicuña is considered more delicate and graceful than the Guanaco, and smaller. A key distinguishing element of morphologyMorphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
are the better developed incisor roots for the guanaco. 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.
Distribution
Vicuñas live exclusively in South America, primarily in the central Andes. They are native to PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, northwest Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and north Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and there is a smaller, introduced population in central Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
has the largest number.
Habitat
Vicuñas live at an altitude of 3,200 to 4,800 metres. 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 atmosphereEarth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
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 calcareousLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
stones and rocks, which are rich in salt, and will also drink salt water. 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
Mating
In biology, mating is the pairing of opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for copulation. In social animals, it also includes the raising of their offspring. Copulation is the union of the sex organs of two sexually reproducing animals for insemination and subsequent internal fertilization...
usually occurs in March–April, and after a gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
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 cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
s.
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. Today the vicuña is mainly wild, but the local people still perform special rituals with these creatures, including a fertility ritual.Conservation
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 ReserveUlla Ulla National Reserve
The Ulla Ulla National Reserve - which today is part of Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area - was created in 1972 with an extension of 240,000 ha, a biosphere reserve located in the Franz Tamayo Province, in the Department of La Paz in western Bolivia.The Reserve is on the high Andean...
was founded in 1977 partly as a sanctuary for the species. Their numbers grew to 125,000 in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. 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
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
's population as endangered.
Vicuña wool
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.
Current 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.
External links
- CONACS Peru (In Spanish)
- Viva Vicuña: Light & Shadow documentary film about Vicuñas in the Andes
- Alpaca Fiber News – The vicuña animal –
- Bayly, Andres and Enrique Pasquel. Privaticemos las vicuñas http://web.mac.com/epasquel/iWeb/Website%20de%20Enrique%20Pasquel/publicaciones_files/Privaticemos%20las%20vicuñas.pdf