Vicuña Vicugna vicugna
An Andean inhabitant with an extremely valuable coat of wool.
The vicugna is a small, elegant relative of the llama, well-adapted to living at extreme altitudes.
The vicugna in a nutshell
- eats
- low grasses
- inhabits
- the Andes, in Chile and Peru
- excels at
- living at high altitude
The vicugna lives high in the Andes Mountains along the west coast of Chile and Peru, at altitudes ranging from 3500 to 5000 metres. Its body is specially adapted to surviving in the thin air, for instance thanks to a powerful heart and blood capable of binding extra oxygen.
Social animals
The vicugna lives in small groups consisting of an adult male, four to fifteen adult females, and their young. Each group occupies two distinct territories: a lower-altitude feeding territory and a sleeping territory higher up the slopes. They mark the boundaries of these territories with large mounds of dung, which can sometimes reach up to two metres in diameter.
Extraordinary wool
The fine wool of the vicugna has been regarded as a precious commodity since the time of the Inca Empire, who herded and sheared the animals. The popularity of the wool continued well beyond the end of the Inca period. However, after the arrival of the Spaniards in South America, the herding stopped and the vicugna were hunted instead – so heavily that they became endangered. Fortunately, a law to protect them was introduced in 1825. The old tradition of capturing and shearing the animals has since recommenced, and the numbers of vicugna are increasing considerably.
Nutrition
Vicugnas live high in the mountains, where the plants are often hard and tough. They mainly eat low grasses and the leaves and bark of small, thorny shrubs, tackling even the toughest of plants with their sharp teeth. Unlike camels, vicugnas cannot go long without water. They are therefore often found close to streams or other water sources.
