As sheep operations in Argentina’s Santa Cruz Province have contracted, guanaco populations have rebounded, drawing complaints from remaining ranchers. (Photo by Víctor Correias)
More than 10,000 wild guanacos (Lama guanicoe) were captured and slaughtered last year in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. Their meat and wool were sold under legal and sanitary protocols aimed at ensuring sustainable use of the camelids, whose populations in Patagonia are growing amid a contraction of sheep ranching in the region. Guanacos weigh about 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and live at elevations ranging from sea level to 4,500 meters (15,000 feet). Though native to much of South America, their populations outside the Patagonian portions of Argentine and Chile are isolated or nearing extinction, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Last year’s legal capture of guanacos and commercial use of their meat and fiber did not mark a first in Santa Cruz, but the province’s support for an ongoing program came in response to complaints from sheep ranchers. For over a decade, ranchers have... [Log in to read more]
