GUANACOS: Research to Conserve | WCS Argentina

https://argentina.wcs.org/en-us/Wildl...

The guanaco connects cultures and landscapes. It lives mainly in Argentina, but it is also present in Chile and Peru and, to a lesser extent, in Bolivia and Paraguay. It is an emblematic species of the environments of South America, however, its population has undergone a marked decline for 200 years. Today, it is estimated that 7% of the 30 million individuals that once inhabited the region remain.

Therefore, knowing their population is essential to conserve them. After 20 years, we once again surveyed the presence of guanacos, by air and land, in the province of Neuquén, (Argentina) together with the Center for Applied Ecology of Neuquén (CEAN). The information we obtained is what we suspected and it is not encouraging: we observed a marked decline. The most likely causes may be the effects of recent volcanic eruptions on pastures and poaching in certain sectors.

Thanks to this type of evaluation, it is possible to define management and conservation strategies for the species in Neuquén territory by local authorities, with the support of WCS Argentina. We hope to create alliances with government agencies from other provinces of Patagonia to develop and evaluate models that promote coexistence between sheep production and guanacos.