Caressed by the winds and golden twilights, the glaciers, lagoons and high meadows of Peru form the territory of one of the populations of alpacas (Vicuna pacos) the most numerous in the country.
There, in the villages of Phinaya and Sallani, thousands of these camelids are raised by families who for generations have perpetuated the ancient tradition of pastoralism.
“The alpaca is my whole life. It is he who makes us live here. The food we buy, the education of our children, it’s him. He is everything to us”, summarizes with emotion Yolanda Quispe Higuera, 40, commoner in the village of Phinaya and a guardian in the ACR Ausangate Regional Park.
The commoners are members of an agricultural community in which access to resources is guaranteed in exchange for a certain number of contributions, an organization widespread in the Andes.
For a better future
Created in 2019 and placed under the supervision of the regional authorities of the department of Cuzco, this “regional conservation area” (ACR) is a precious water reserve, with 13 snow-capped peaks and the imposing Sibinacocha lagoon.
There are 102 species of birds and mammals, as well as 307 plant species, some of which make up high-altitude grasslands of great diversity. This is where the alpacas graze.
Specific to the region, this extraordinary biodiversity is a precious treasure given the climate crisis. Here, these communities committed to environmental protection and sustainable alpaca farming are building a better future.
White, brown or grey, the curious alpacas come to meet the visitor as soon as they have crossed the Jahuaycate pass, at 5,070 meters above sea level.
In the absence of crops capable of withstanding the frost, snow and rain that characterize these peaks, it is the camelids that make life possible for the Andean villages of the Pitumarca district: the sale of alpaca wool is their only source of income.