Biologist Andrés Rey radio-tracking guanacos. ©ML Guichón.

The Patagonian steppe of Argentina is a vast, sparsely populated area where populations of native wildlife have been undermined by human activities. Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is one of the two species of wild South-American camelids and one of the few large, native herbivores of the region. Over the last century, guanacos have experienced a dramatic decline in abundance and range distribution. Only about 500000 guanacos are left and most of them inhabit Argentinean Patagonia, where most lands are ruled by sheep farmers that kill/chase out guanacos because they diminish sheep food resources. Though natural reserves may protect wild populations of native species, they encompass relatively small and isolated areas. Therefore, conservation of free-ranging wildlife inhabiting this human-dominated landscape should be stated as a priority if long-term persistence of these populations wants to be achieved. Shearing of guanacos has arisen as a complementary activity for sheep farmers and is actively promoted by most wildlife agencies of Patagonian provinces.

In 2007, a reintroduction programme has been launched by the National Parks Administration aiming to translocate guanacos from Patagonia to a National Park in central Argentina. In 2005, we have initiated our studies within a sheep ranch that has been shearing free-ranging guanacos since 2003 and has now been chosen as the source population for the reintroduction programme. A first RSG has funded the initial steps of this project, and now this 2nd RSG will allow us to collect enough data to evaluate the disruption of social structure, increase of mortality and decrease of reproduction due to shearing of wild guanacos and extraction of individuals for translocation.

Fieldwork will be carried out within the same 40000 ha sheep ranch, located in the province of Río Negro, Argentina. We will conduct line transect sampling and will radio-track guanacos, recording: location, identification (age-sex class, tags), group inclusion, and general condition of all observed guanacos. We will also seek for carcasses and assess cause of death. Additionally, we will attend management events (usually in February and October) to record data on captured guanacos and tag them. This case-study population will provide essential information to evaluate whether these practices could be developed in a sustainable way without threatening the species and its habitat. New guidelines for welfare practices will also be an output of this project.