#802: Vicuña

The Vicuña is a member of the camelid Family. Like her cousin, the guanaco, she lives in the high alpine regions of South America. She is believed to be the ancestor of the domestic alpaca. Vicuña produce a very fine wool, perfect for keeping her warm when the high altitude temperatures reach freezing point. This wool is one of the most expensive fibres available, as wild Vicuña can only be shorn every three years. Once, hundreds were poached and killed for it.