The Huilo Huilo and Luan foundations signed a collaboration agreement to contribute to the recovery of the guanaco in the foothills of La Araucanía, through conservation, reproduction and repopulation actions for this native species.
The initiative considers the translocation of 20 specimens from the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve to the Huellas Reserve, located in Lonquimay, with the purpose of jointly promoting the first guanaco reproduction center in the region and favoring the recovery of the territory's biodiversity.
The project will rely on the experience of the Guanaco Conservation and Reproduction Center of Fundación Huilo Huilo, which began its work with 20 specimens and currently has a population of 75 animals.
A long-term conservation effort
Fundación Huilo Huilo's work with this species began in 2007, within the framework of its Ecosystem Recovery Program. The initial objective was to reintroduce the guanaco in the Neltume and Puerto Fuy area, in the Los Ríos Region, where it had become extinct.
The foundation's executive director, Rodolfo Menichetti, highlighted the importance of this species for conservation efforts. "The guanaco is an umbrella species; therefore, it plays a key role in the ecosystem recovery we set out to achieve in order to conserve the natural heritage of this area," he stated.
For his part, the Conservation director of Fundación Huilo Huilo, Eduardo Arias, explained that protecting the guanaco's habitat also contributes to safeguarding other species that share the same environment.
In addition, he highlighted its contribution to ecosystem regeneration through seed dispersal and the opening of trails used by other animals, functions that have earned it recognition as the "gardener" of the Andes.
Arias recalled that the guanaco was one of the ungulates with the greatest presence in the country, but that its populations decreased considerably, causing its extinction in different regions, including Los Ríos and La Araucanía.
Cooperation between regions
The agreement seeks to share knowledge and experiences to strengthen new initiatives for the reproduction and recovery of the species in southern Chile.
The executive director of Fundación Luan, Macarena Fernández, valued the collaboration between both organizations and its territorial scope.
"Having a collaboration agreement between two regions, we believe, is what sows a better future, where there is no competition but rather the opposite, there is mutual help," she stated.
With this agreement, both foundations seek to expand guanaco conservation efforts and contribute to the restoration of the ecosystems of the foothills of La Araucanía, promoting the protection of biodiversity through joint work.
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