This project is a real success story. Wild chinchillas (both long-tailed and short-tailed, Chinchilla lanigera and Chinchilla chinchilla) are native to dry, rocky and sandy foothills of the Andes Mountains of Chile. Once widely distributed, the wild chinchilla colonies are declining and critically endangered. It is thought that only 3,000-5,000 individuals remain in the wild. Chinchillas are threatened by poaching for their extremely soft pelt, hunting, predation by foxes, and habitat loss.
This project by “Save the Wild Chinchilla” is restoring lost chinchilla habitat by replanting vegetation near Illapel, Chile. The Ulysses S. Seal Conservation Grant Program has helped cover the costs for nursery supplies and transportation. A new nursery has been completed with the help of volunteers, and chinchilla colonies have now been observed near at the restoration sites and the National Chinchilla Reserve for the first time in the 40 years!
This project was championed by Christine Ness, Interpretive Naturalist at the Minnesota Zoo.
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