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Altiplano at 16,000ft or 4,800metres -Everest is 28,400ft- herd of vicuna in distance. There are 230,000 vicunas now, up from only 60,000 left in the world in 1970. They are CITES protected. Nonetheless 1,300 vicuna alone are poached by hunters annually from the Salinas and Aguada Blanca reserve which has some 360,000 hectares with only two rangers patrolling. Each vicuna produces about 250gms of fibre per year and 5 vicunas' fibre is needed for a sweater which retails for USD900 in Peru. Peru now exports 4 tonnes of vicuna fibre worth USD11m. Each vicuna has one cria every two years. That cria can accelerate to 30mph or 55kmph just 3/4 hr after being born. Pumas presumably cannot reach that speed. Which is good for the survival of the species. |