The ancient peoples who once inhabited the foothills of the Andes considered the animal, which outwardly resembled a small camel, to be sacred. They called its wool the "golden fleece", and hunting it was considered the greatest sin. We are talking about a small ruminant animal - vicuña, belonging to the genus of llamas and the family of camels. Much more vicuña looks like an alpaca or guanaco. The resemblance to a camel in these creatures is very distant, if only because they are much smaller in size and do not have humps.
Vicuna is an animal whose wool is considered the most expensive in the world. Until recently, these "mini-camels" were on the verge of extinction, and only thanks to the competent policy of international organizations and governments of the countries where the vicuña lives, its numbers began to grow. Today, there are already almost two million individuals in the world.
Distribution
Vicuna is an animal found only in the western part of South America - in the highlands of the Andes. Distributed in the territories of Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina. These representatives of the fauna live in rather harsh conditions - at an altitude of 3.5 to 5.5 km. The largest population is in Peru. Vicuña animal, the photo of which we posted inthis article, is the national symbol of the country. Her image can be seen on the coat of arms of Peru.
Vicugna needs a cold and dry climate and places with accessible water. These animals settle on plains covered with short and hard vegetation, and on hilly fields.
Description
Vicuna is a slender and graceful animal. The length of his body is about one and a half meters, the height at the withers does not exceed a meter, and the weight is 50 kg. The tail is short - from 15 to 25 cm. The head is round with large expressive eyes. The ears are narrow, pointed at the ends, rather long. The long limbs and neck give the animal grace.
Physiological characteristics of vicuna
Vicuna is an animal with amazing physiological features: the lower incisors are covered with enamel on only one side, and they grow constantly, like in rodents. They are sharpened when the animal cuts the tough stems of plants with them.
The heart of a vicuña is larger than that of other mammals of the same size, and all thanks to adaptation to high altitudes. Increased levels of oxygen and hemoglobin in the blood. In addition, the erythrocytes (red blood cells) of vicuñas are oval in shape, not disc-shaped, which is typical of the inhabitants of the plains.
Coat and color
Soft and thick wool covers the entire body of a humpless camel. The neck and head are painted in a red-brown hue, and the chest is decorated with silky white wool up to 30 cm long, which forms a bib. Bottom partthe body, as well as the insides of the legs, are gray-white, while the back and outer side of the limbs are reddish-brown.
Lifestyle
Vicuna is a herd animal living in small groups of 5 to 15 adults. The group is managed by a male leader who jealously protects his "family". He is constantly on the move, trying to move a little higher up the hill. This allows him to observe the surroundings and, in case of danger, give a signal to his relatives. Family members demonstrate submission to the leader by resting their neck on his back.
These attentive and very shy animals on a hill reach speeds of up to 47 km/h. Compared to other ungulates, vicunas move very gracefully. In moments of danger, they make a whistling loud sound, warning the herd. The area occupied by vicunas is divided into pasture and sleeping area.
Adult males who do not lead the herd live alone or create their own group with an appropriate hierarchy. In addition to disciplined herds, in the mountains you can meet groups of young males who are gaining strength and experience and are waiting for the moment when they manage to recapture the females from the aged leader and thus form their own herd.
Vicugnas in captivity often refuse to take water and food, and practically do not make contact with humans. This is the main reason why for many centuries this animal has not been tamed, although such attempts are being made today.
Food
Given the peculiarity of placeshabitat of these animals, it can be assumed that their diet is not rich. Almost all vegetation that can be found in mountainous areas is used as food. Vicuña roots are not edible.
The real feast for them is the thickets of wild cereals encountered on their way. They would probably also raid the cultivated fields that are cultivated by humans, but, fortunately, mountain artiodactyls do not like to go low.
Reproduction and longevity
Until the middle of the 20th century, the main enemy of vicuñas was man. But when the animals were included in the Red Book, the situation changed dramatically: the life expectancy of these animals increased significantly. Today, under natural conditions, they live up to 15-20 years.
The mating season is in the spring. The female's pregnancy lasts 11 months. Every female of childbearing age produces offspring annually. It is easy to calculate that each new mating season begins for her a month after giving birth. Until the age of one, the foals graze next to their mother, stay in the herd for another one and a half to two years, and only after that they go out to “free bread”.
Vicuña price
Of all natural types of wool, vicuna wool is considered the most valuable and expensive in the world. This is due to its special characteristics, and the rarity and small number of animals. Vicuña fur (you can see the photo below) consists of very thin and soft fibers up to 30 cm long. The average fineness (hair diameter) of vicuña wool is 10-15 microns, and its downy fibersreach only 6-8 microns. You can compare this figure with the fineness of alpaca - 22-27 microns, yak - 19-21 microns, cashmere 15-19 microns. Chinchilla fur is inferior to her.
About half of all wool comes from Peru, followed by Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Production volumes are small. By law, an adult animal is allowed to be sheared no more than once every two years, while it is possible to obtain no more than 400-500 grams of wool from each individual.
Kilogram of hand sorted wool costs up to $1000. A meter of vicuña wool weighing 300 grams costs up to $3,000. For example, a men's coat will cost at least $20,000. This is such a valuable animal - vicuña. A fur coat made from her fur can be the most expensive acquisition, except for real estate, of course. For such an exclusive product, the fur is made by hand. Since it is forbidden to kill these animals, the fur surface is reproduced from the rune.
Vicuna wool has a rare shade of cinnamon - from dark to light. Due to its unique properties, it is never dyed.
Collection of wool
The only permitted way to collect vicuña hair today is the ancient version: the herd is driven into a fenced-off place where the animals are examined by a veterinarian and assisted if necessary. He althy animals are sheared.
In Peru, special permits have been introduced for anyone who sells and manufactures products from the wool of these animals. Such certificates guarantee that the wool was obtained from live vicuñas. Without suchpermission any transaction of sale is illegal. A special label for vicuna products has also been approved (Vicua is the country of origin of the product).
Wool and vicuña clothing
I must say that only very serious firms make clothes from vicuña. According to the competent opinion of their specialists, to make one scarf, you need wool sheared from more than one animal, for a sweater - the wool of five, and for a coat - from 30 vicunas.
Loro Piana is the most famous company that works with the wool of these graceful creatures. She makes luxury clothes.
Falke is a company famous for its $1200 used car socks. They are packaged in a branded stylish wooden box. Such a product can be a gift for a person who has everything.
