Vicuña

The vicuña is the ungulate that lives at the highest altitudes in all of South America, between 3000 and 5000 meters above sea level in the Andean Cordillera, from northern Peru to northwestern Argentina.

Its main diet is grasses and herbs, and can be complemented with shrub species.

It is the smallest of all camelids, weighing 35-45 kg, with a graceful appearance, small head and long, arched neck. Its woolly coat ranges from pale cinnamon to reddish brown with white on the inside of the legs. This fur protects it from the cold and UV rays. It is the mammal best adapted to live in areas with little oxygen, as is the case at these altitudes.

Its social structure is polygyny, forming groups composed of an adult male with several females and their offspring. Groups of single males or solitary males can also be seen.

This species has been an animal used by the Andean inhabitants since prehistoric times, but overexploitation and illegal hunting led it to be in serious danger of extinction. Thanks to conservation efforts, this situation has been reversed.