Vicuña born at ARTIS Zoo

Vicuñas are able to stand on their legs soon after birth, although they are a little unsteady at first. Shortly after taking its first steps, the youngster drank from its mother, who watched protectively. The father kept a curious eye on the situation and was allowed to come closer little by little.

The vicuña is a small and elegant relative of the llama. The gestation period is particularly long: approximately eleven months. In the past, vicuñas were hunted intensively for their extremely fine wool, which is known as the most valuable wool in the world. Since the animals have been protected by law, the wild population has fortunately grown strongly again.