Camelid Country

The Guanaco
(Lama Guanicoe)

Future Quote

Anon.

Description

The guanaco (pronounced wah-na'-koh) is the larger of the two wild South American camelids, inhabiting the south half of the continent from Peru to Cape Horn.

They normally congregate in herds of six to thirty animals. Standing almost 48 inches at the shoulder, these animals have gracefully curved neck and long slender legs.

They are highly prized for their meat and their hair, which is fawn coloured on top and white on the bottom.

Although they are timid and hard to approach, they are easy to domesticate.

The Guanaco is presently listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), indicating the species may become endangered if trade in specimens of the animal are not controlled.

The 1997 IUCN Red List classifies some populations in Chile as endangered. Other Chilean Guanacos are classified as vulnerable, as are Guanacos in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru.