Huemul in Cerro Castillo National Park | Photo: Rody Álvarez for Rewilding Chile
The New Chilean Huemul Corridor: Saving a Species on the Brink
Reduced to only 1% of its historic population, the huemul deer, an emblematic species found on Chile’s coat of arms, has reached critical status. In response, a public-private initiative endeavors to restore biological corridors for the species along Patagonia's Route of Parks. The initiative also entails a first-of-a-kind Huemul Rescue Center adjacent to Cerro Castillo National Park.
The last of these tawny deer survive high in the Andes, seeking refuge on rocky outcrops and along steep slopes of Patagonian forest. A rare species found only in Chile and Argentina, the huemul originally ranged from the central valley of Chile to the southern tip of the continent. However, a great loss of habitat, hunting, disease brought by livestock and dog attacks have contributed to the species’ rapid decline. The fragmentation and degradation of habitat has led to the growing isolation of smaller populations and generated local extinctions. Today, as few as 1500 individual huemuls remain.
In response to this critical situation, today the “National Huemul Corridor” (NCH) was launched, an ambitious public-private initiative, promoted by Rewilding Chile, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, SAG and CONAF. It seeks to reduce threats to the species, strengthen huemul populations in key conservation areas of the Route of Parks and create the first Rescue, Rehabilitation and Reproduction Center for the species in the Aysén region. In early 2022, the huemul was identified by the scientific journal Ecography as one of 20 crucial species to lead global ecosystem restoration.
Kristine Tompkins, President of Tompkins Conservation and co-founder of Rewilding Chile, said: “Respecting wildlife means repairing some of the damage we have caused. One way to do this is to restore corridors for crucial species such as the huemul, whose time is running out.” She added that the recovery of the huemul will require collaboration from all sectors of society and a long-term commitment.
"Respecting wildlife means repairing some of the damage we have caused. One way to do this is to restore corridors for crucial species such as the huemul, whose time is running out.”
For Esteban Valenzuela, Minister of Agriculture “the huemul is our most beautiful deer in the world, which is on our national coat of arms, and which inhabited from the Cachapoal Province in O’Higgins to Magallanes, but then its range of life became narrower. Today, happily, they have been reborn in the regions of Magallanes and Aysén in a significant number of specimens, and that is why we are going to look for a contiguous national corridor for their protection and defense from Minagri -with SAG and CONAF- and in direct coordination with Rewilding Chile”.
Patagonia’s first Huemul Rescue Center
Despite local losses, the region of Aysén remains an important stronghold for the species. Authorities sought to establish the rescue center adjacent to Cerro Castillo National Park where the Forestry Service (Conaf) and the National Agricultural & Livestock Service already undertake regular interventions with the species. Daily operations will be carried out by wildlife rangers experienced in the capture and transfer of huemuls, and teams of veterinarians and wildlife managers working in treatment and rehabilitation. This center will require an estimated initial investment of a half-million US dollars. The first of its kind in Aysén, it has the support of stakeholders from the Mesa Intersectorial del huemul, as well as the Mesa Castillo composed of the Agricultural & Livestock Service, the Forestry Service and Rewilding Chile.