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The graceful wild guanaco lives from snowline to sea level throughout the Andes Mountains in Peru and Bolivia and on the Pantagonian plateau of Argentina. The rare guanaco is exhibited in only a handful of zoos in the United States. In fact, there are fewer than 300 held in 78 zoos worldwide and fewer than 200 registered in private herds in the United States.
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Guanacos are a uniform color with fox red-rust bodies, white underbellies and pearl gray faces dominated by large, dark brown eyes. Their ears are straight and erect, giving them an alert, inquisitive appearance. They are not picky eaters, surviving on harsh grasses and brush in the wild. They are easily maintained in captivity and thrive on pasture, a variety of hays, supplemental protein block and an occasional treat of whole grain.
Their gestation period is 11 1/2 months with a single baby, called a chulengo, being born annually. The female becomes sexually able to reproduce at 10-12 months of age, sometimes even younger, but great care should be taken to wait until she is 2 years old before breeding. This practice gives her an opportunity to mature, to provide adequate milk for her newborn, and reduces birthing complications.
The guanaco's coat is a soft downy fiber covering. It is highly valued for both its rarity and soft texture. Of all the world's furbearing animals the guanaco's wool is second only in fineness to that of its wild cousin, the vicuna.
Adaptable to almost any climate with minimal shelter, the wild guanaco is a pure pleasure to breed and own.
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