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Camelids |
| Colca Canyon is home to a variety of species of Camelid, from the wild Vicuna to the domesticated Alpaca, which are prized for their fine fleeces. | | |
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Vicuna The smallest and most fragile of all American camelids. This wild species possesses one of the finest fibers in the world, which is why it was sadly almost hunted to the verge of extinction. Today the specie has recovered and it constitutes a source of wealth for peasant communities in the high Andes. | | |
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Alpaca Species domesticated by humans more than 2,000 years ago, the alpaca has a fine fiber that is the base of an important textile industry, and also has a tasty meat low in fat and cholesterol. In comparison to the vicuna it lives in lower and more humid areas. | | |
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Llama Probably the most adaptable type of domesticated Camelid in the Andes. With a strong and resistant body, it has been used as a beast of burden since prehistoric times. Its meat, wool and leather are used widely in the Andeans. | | |
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Guanaco One of the two species of wild camelids in America. It feeds on herbs and bushes, and it can survive for long periods of time without water. It is considered the predecessor of the llama and the alpaca, it can run at speeds of 56 km/h. | | |
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