A treasure nearly lost
The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna), the smallest member of the camelid family, produces the finest and most expensive wool in the world. This was nearly its undoing. During the Inca Empire, the vicuña was considered sacred, and only royalty could wear garments made from its fleece. A sustainable shearing practice called the chaccu—a communal roundup to shear the animals before releasing them unharmed—kept populations healthy. After the Spanish conquest, this system collapsed and firearms enabled uncontrolled hunting.
By 1974, a population that once numbered in the millions had crashed to just 6,000 individuals. This dire situation prompted a major international conservation effort. Peru established the Pampa Galeras National Reserve in 1967 to protect one of the last large herds. In 1969, Peru and Bolivia signed the Vicuña Convention, which banned hunting and trade. Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador soon joined, and the species was placed under CITES protection, which regulates international trade. Lauca National Park, established in 1970, became an important sanctuary in Chile, forming part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that now protects thousands of vicuñas.
Biology of a high-altitude survivor
The vicuña is adapted to life in the harsh Altiplano, or Puna, a high-altitude steppe between 3,000 and 4,800 meters. Its soft fleece insulates it from extreme temperature swings. The wool's individual fibers are incredibly fine, measuring just 12 microns in diameter on average, far finer than cashmere. To survive on tough, sparse grasses, the vicuña has rodent-like incisors that grow continuously throughout its life, a trait unique among hoofed animals.
Vicuñas live in family groups consisting of a dominant male, several females, and their young. These groups defend year-round territories of about 18 square kilometers. Other males form large bachelor herds. After a gestation period of around 11 months, a female gives birth to a single calf.
The conservation program's success allowed for the revival of the ancient chaccu. Today, local Aymara communities in Lauca National Park conduct these roundups, shearing the wild vicuñas and releasing them. Each animal produces only about 250 grams of wool every two to three years, maintaining its high value and providing a sustainable income that incentivizes the continued protection of the species.