Following the Largest Guanaco Migration in the World
Guanacos require extensive and connected habitat to feed, reproduce, and avoid predators. Their migration migration is one of the most endangered ecological processes worldwide. Some causes: habitat degradation from overgrazing and the oil, energy, and mining industries; the construction of barriers such as fences, roads, and urban developments; and the scarcity of food and water due to the climate crisis.
WCS Argentina's Anibal Aminahuel and Jairo González recently went to the Payunia Natural Protected Area to monitor them. This is an effort to track these seasonal population shifts and evaluate possible threats to the route. That way, we can identify key areas to protect.
Accompanied by our mule “Rayo,” we recently entered the Andes mountain range.
We left with the first rays of sun arriving over the hills. This is peak goat herding time.
We crossed the icy El Montañés stream, which descends from the high peaks and empties into the Rio Grande, one of the largest in Mendoza.
We stopped to check camera traps and, as always, we were surprised. We confirmed that this is a crossing point for the “ghost of the Andes”, the Andean cat—the most endangered feline in South America.
We kept moving on our journey. This path is probably not suitable for people with vertigo.
Eventually we reached the extensive plains of the La Payunia Protected Area. Payún Liso (3,833 m) stood out on the horizon.
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