After almost 30 years without records, a huemul has been sighted in the Lanín National Park, in Neuquén, marking an important milestone for the conservation of this emblematic species declared Natural Monument at the national level in the protected area.
This discovery is part of a joint project between the National Parks Administration (APN), through the Lanín National Park (PNL) and the Northern Patagonia Regional Directorate, and the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve (RBHH) in Chile. The main objective is to promote the reintegration of the huemul in the Park by improving conservation conditions in both the PNL and the RBHH, focusing on the specific needs of this species.
Since 2005, the Huilo Huilo Foundation has been carrying out the Huemul Conservation Project in Chile, breeding specimens for their release into protected natural habitats. After detecting the migration of huemules towards the border with Argentina, the implementation of the joint project "Improvement of habitat and addressing threats for the natural recolonization of huemul in the cross-border area formed by RBHH and PNL" was initiated. The actions include monitoring, control of exotic fauna, and environmental management to create favorable conditions for the return of the species.
Following the monitoring of a huemul with a radio collar that migrated from Los Ríos in Chile to Argentina, its presence in the Lanín National Park was confirmed. The establishment of a natural biological corridor between the Lanín National Park and the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve prompted both institutions to join forces to recover a species that has been extinct in the region since the 1980s on both sides of the mountain range.
This achievement is the result of two decades of collaboration between National Parks and Huilo Huilo, through the exchange of scientific information in the border area and the implementation of successful conservation strategies. It marks the beginning of a new phase in the recovery of the huemul in the region, urging the reinforcement of conservation measures to maintain this progress.
