Vicuna
Just after the holidays we took a quick trip to South
America, visiting Peru and Argentina.
The fibers of Peru include llama, alpaca and vicuna. I discussed alpaca fiber (1/7/17 Alpaca Christmas Gift) so today we
will visit the vicuna, probably less known.
Llams, alpacas and vicunas are members of the family of
camelids. The ancestors originated in
the great plains of North America 40 to
50 million years ago. Approximately 3million years ago these New World camels
migrated to South America. All camelids
have usuable fiber, and the cinnamon-colored fiber from the vicuna is the finest and most
luxurious. It is also the most
expensive due to the their near-extinction
from European hunters.
For decades the export of vicuna fiber was forbidden by
international laws. With these efforts, the wild vicuna herds have increased to
approximately ¼ million and the wool is being hand gathered legally.
These are shy animals and the smallest of the camelids,
about 150 pounds.
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