Vicuña conservation and the reinvigoration of Indigenous communities in the Andes

Abstract

Vicuña management by Andean communities is one of the few success stories of international conservation. The species not only recovered from the brink of extinction, but also ancient traditions were restored. Vicuñas, Vicugna vicugna, are wild South American camelids that roam in the Puna and Altiplano, high Andean ecoregions in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru reaching altitudes between 3,500 and 5,000 metres. The vicuña´s highly prized fleece has been both its greatest asset and its biggest downfall. In this chapter, we firstly provide a historical background on the decommonisation process of vicuñas and their near extinction that occurred following the Spanish Conquest in the Andean Region. Secondly, we analyse their recent commonisation led by the indigenous communities living in the province of Jujuy, Argentina; the enabling conditions, and the resulting socio-political, cultural, economic and ecological benefits derived for the communities involved.