Hidden Herd of Endangered Deer Discovered in Chilean Park!

Quick Smiles:

• A helicopter expedition uncovers a hidden herd of endangered huemul deer in Chile’s Cape Froward National Park.
• The park, set to open soon, is a sanctuary for diverse wildlife including condors, seals, and humpback whales.
• Efforts by conservation organizations aim to protect the huemul deer, with fewer than 1,500 left in the wild.

In a thrilling wildlife discovery, a helicopter expedition has unveiled a hidden herd of endangered huemul deer within the soon-to-open Cape Froward National Park in Chile.

This expansive park, which borders the Strait of Magellan, is a haven for an array of wildlife, including condors, seals, penguins, and humpback whales.

The huemul deer, one of the most endangered large mammals in the southern hemisphere, has suffered a dramatic population decline due to hunting and habitat loss.

The park spans 300,000 acres, with over 231,000 acres donated by dedicated conservation organizations.

These groups are committed to safeguarding Chilean Patagonia’s most vulnerable creatures, including the huemul deer.

“Throughout history, the huemul deer population has been associated with the coast here,” shared Miguel Lopetegui, a park ranger with the Chilean Forestry Service, representing the conservation efforts.

To explore the remote highlands, the team employed a helicopter to navigate the “roadless” and “pristine” areas, largely untouched by human activity.

“It’s twice the effort without the helicopter,” explained Benjamin Caceres, conservation coordinator for the region.

The expedition focused on two main sectors of the future national park to search for signs of the huemul deer.

Their efforts were swiftly rewarded.

“It was surprising to arrive at the mountaintop via helicopter and see a huemul right there,” Lopetegui laughed.

The sighting invigorated the team as they ventured further.

With numerous footprints surrounding them, the team was confident more deer were nearby.

Their search led them to another group of deer, which they observed through binoculars.

“In actuality,” noted Cristián Saucedo, the wildlife director, “there weren’t just two, but five deer, all very tame.”

By the expedition’s conclusion, Saucedo and Lopetegui had counted 10 deer—a noteworthy finding given the fewer than 1,500 huemul deer remaining in Chile and Argentina.

“We’ve been immensely fortunate to have been able to gather this data and to have found this group in very good condition,” Saucedo said.

“Geographic barriers have … prevented humans from reaching this area, and thanks to that isolation we can honestly say that the huemul deer here are well preserved,” added Lopetegui.

The mission was celebrated as a resounding success.

Saucedo emphasized that the data collected bolsters the mission to establish “large-scale conservation corridors” to enhance local species’ survival chances.

“This fills us with hope for Cape Froward as the southernmost refuge of the huemul deer,” Saucedo nodded, “and it gives us strength and reaffirms the importance of working in this region.”

^{(IMAGE VIA REWILDING CHILE / TOMPKINS CONSERVATION)}

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