Live shearing of free-ranging guanaco (Lama guanicoe) in argentina: a possible management tool for conservation

MARULL, C., CARMANCHAHI, P., LAGER, I., SAMARTINO, L., MARTICORENA, D., RAGO, V., FORTUNA, M., MARCOPPIDO, G., NOVARO, A., UHART, M.

Estes Park, Colorado

Conferencia; 56th Annual Wildlife Disease Association Conference. Wildlife Health: Can we manage it?; 2007

Guanaco are the most abundant wild ungulates of arid environments in South America. However, their populations have declined dramatically since European colonization due to habitat degradation, competition with introduced domestic sheep, overhunting and lack of management plans.  More recently, the high commercial value of fine wool fibers has favored an explosion of private initiatives to shear free-ranging guanaco in Argentina Patagonia, which could lead to further reductions of their populations if not properly controlled. In an effort to obtain critically needed information and experience to prepare guidelines for the rational management of this emerging resource we began a community cooperative guanaco shearing project with the inhabitants of La Payunia Wildlife Reserve and the financial support of the government of Mendoza in 2005. By means of this initiative we expect to create a sustainable alternative for rural development in the region, focusing on the conservation of guanaco and its environment. One of our roles in these pilot experiences has been to train community members in animal wellbeing practices, proper handling of wild animals, and monitoring of shearing effects on free-ranging guanaco populations. On the other hand, because the main source of income for these communities comes from farming of small ruminants that are raised in areas where guanaco roam free, we are evaluating the presence of pathogens and evaluating transmission risks between both groups. We will discuss the management and conservation results of the initial phase of the project and disease exposure results to date.