Nations Hold Hands to Protect Endangered Deer

Conservationists are creating a 110-mile protected network that may help save the critically endangered Andean huemul deer, the southernmost deer of the planet.

The Andean huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus ) deer resides in the mountainous regions of southern Chile and Argentina. Today, it is confined to a few fragmented subpopulations with only 1,500 individuals remaining. Despite myriad challenges, the huemul has extraordinary survival skills.

Human threats, such as forest fires, illegal hunting, and the introduction of exotic species, have rendered life difficult for the huemal. The deer, however, has been recognised as one of the species whose recovery would help restore large portions of the ecosystem. A conservation project called the National Huemul Corridor is working to restore habitats, monitor presence, and manage key threats. The project would ultimately allow the remaining huemul population to safely roam across its historical range, potentially leading to more breeding pairs and long-term survival of the species. Substantial progress on the corridor has already been made and is expected to be fully operational later this year.