Población nueva de huemules descubierta en Fundo Puchegüín
When fewer than 2,000 individuals of a species remain in the wild, spotting even one is rare – let alone discovering an entirely new subpopulation. Yet that’s exactly what happened this year, when camera traps set up by our partners Puelo Patagonia captured a new group of huemul deer, one of South America’s most endangered mammals, in Chile’s Cochamó region.
The camera trap footage – taken between January and May of this year – marks the northernmost presence of huemul in Chile. Across 80+ photos and videos, the shots show 6 to 8 individual huemul, including adult males, a juvenile male, and an adult female.
Playing a key role as landscape architects, huemul help maintain vegetation balance by grazing on plants and shrubs, thus regulating the health of forest and alpine ecosystems. Beyond their ecological value, they also carry a particular importance to the region they call home: endemic to the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina, these animals are a symbol of Patagonia and a flagship species for the region's conservation.
Fundo Puchegüín would help connect 1.6 million hectares of protected areas across Chile and Argentina into a cohesive biological corridor.
Once widespread across the Andes, the deer are now classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List with an estimate of just 1% of their original population remaining. The populations that do remain are fragmented and vulnerable, making every new sighting a critical piece of information for both science and conservation strategy.
This latest discovery not only expands the huemul’s known range, but also underscores the urgency of protecting one of the region’s most ecologically important and vulnerable landscapes where all of these sightings occurred: Fundo Puchegüín.
Fundo Puchegüín is a vast, unprotected property in Chilean Patagonia. Over the past 15 months, Freyja has been working alongside Puelo Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy, Wyss Foundation, and Patagonia Inc. to purchase and permanently protect it. Nestled in the heart of a 1.6-million-hectare mosaic of national parks, reserves, and nature sanctuaries spanning Chile and Argentina, it sits at the center of one of Latin America’s largest wildlife corridors. Yet despite its strategic location, ecological value, and cultural significance, the property remains at risk.
Through the Conserva Puchegüín initiative, we’re working to ensure this land stays wild and connected – for the huemul, and all the ecosystems and communities that depend on it. Check out the camera trap footage captured below to see the newly documented huemul population for yourself, and learn how you can help us protect the region through the Conserva Puchegüín campaign.
