A slender wild camelid of high Andean grasslands. It has very fine, soft fleece.
Its back and sides are light brown, with an off-white belly. It has long legs and a long neck, and a paler face than a guanaco.
Researchers tracked 24 adult female vicuñas in San Guillermo National Park, Argentina, from April 2014 to February 2017. The females showed strong fidelity to their home ranges, but seasonal core ranges used by different family groups overlapped by an average of 38.1%. In every season, 3 to 10 vicuñas shared more than a third of their core range with others.
Day-night movements averaged 725 m in San Guillermo Canyon and 822 m at Llano de los Leones. Mean distances were slightly longer in the nongrowing season (796 m) than in the growing season (763 m). Terrain, environmental conditions, and predation risk were associated with these movements.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species · Least Concern (LC) · Global
The IUCN Red List’s latest global assessment listed the vicuña as Least Concern in 2018, with an increasing population trend. It cited the species’ wide range, population size, and presence in protected areas. A separate 2021 IUCN Green Status assessment scored recovery at 67% and classified the species as Moderately Depleted. It describes recovery from historical overhunting for valuable fleece, while noting that poaching remains a threat and conservation action is still needed.