The guanaco is a camelid native to South America, closely related to the llama. Its name comes from the Quechua word huanaco. Young guanacos are called chulengos. Guanacos are one of two wild South American camelids, the other being the vicuña, which lives at higher elevations.

Is guanaco an endangered species?

Guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are considered critically endangered in Bolivia and Paraguay. Fewer than 200 exist in Bolivia and as few as 20 in Paraguay. Guanacos in Bolivia and Paraguay are threatened by habitat loss and poaching.

How many guanacos are left?

There used to be about 50 million guanacos in the world. Today there are less than 600,000, with about 90 percent living in Argentina. Human activities resulting in habitat loss are the main threat to their survival.