Jujuy rescues 42 vicuñas from illegal captive farm

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Jujuy carried out a coordinated operation that freed 42 vicuñas held in poor conditions at a historic breeding farm in Rodero. The animals were transferred to the INTA facility in Abra Pampa, where veterinarians are assessing their health and working to restore a natural diet. The farm was shut down and its owner was formally charged with animal cruelty for failing to provide adequate food and care.

Secretary Ana Cristina Rodríguez highlighted that the rescue followed strict animal‑welfare protocols and marked the closure of the province’s only remaining closed vicuña breeding establishment. The ministry plans to evaluate which individuals, especially the younger ones, can later be re‑released into the wild, while adult vicuñas may remain under protection. The operation underscores the province’s shift toward the traditional "chaku" method of sustainable vicuña fiber collection.

The incident demonstrates enforcement of Law 5634, which bans closed breeding farms, and reflects broader efforts to balance economic development in the Puna region with conservation of the prized vicuña species.