Guanacos and Nandus

Guanacos and nandus

Unique to Patagonia is the guanaco.

They are members of the camel family that live in herds of one male and 12-15 females.  The males are much bigger and have distinctive black mouths and their job is to  protect the babies and the females from predators.  The females stay with their babies for 2 years.  Unlike their cousins, the llama and alpacas, guanacos can’t be domesticated.  The meat and the skins were used by the locals for centuries until they faced extinction by 1980 and are now protected by the Chilean government.  We saw many large herds.  Also unique is that one non-alpha male stands guard over the herd. .

If you are getting too close for his comfort, he puts his ears back to warn you away. Guanocos do not migrate but move close to caves or other protected areas as winter comes on.  Winters here can be brutal!

Nandus are a type of emu that are only in Patagonia.  They do not fly.   The nanadu colonies consist of one male and about 15 females and one nest made by the male.  All the females lay their 1 egg in the same nest and the male is completely responsible for nesting  and raising the babies, including feeding them and teaching them to hunt.  One nandu egg is the equivalent of 1 dozen chicken eggs and until 20 years ago, it was eaten by the local people.  It is now forbidden to eat or disturb the nandu eggs. We saw one stuffed nandu at the resort.  They are about the size of an ostrich, have feet and feathers like one, but we didn't see any in the wild.