Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is a native deer of Patagonia whose endangered status has raised concerns for several decades, and yet conservation efforts to reverse this situation have not succeeded for most populations. Captive breeding projects attempted in the past were short-lived; animals were often lost due to poor methodology or unsanitary conditions during capture, transport stresses and rudimentary husbandry, and reintroductions could not be realised. Despite inappropriate capture and transport techniques of the past, a few individuals did make it to captive centres where they managed to survive for several years, with a minimum of eight births recorded. Regardless of the successes, it is the past failures that impinge upon today’s conservation efforts. In Argentina, a recent financially backed proposal – establishing a huemul breeding centre and including an in situ reintroduction program – was prevented by the prevailing opinion that captive breeding was neither feasible nor a necessary conservation tool for huemul. In Chile, the Huilo Huilo Foundation was able to obtain government consent and to establish the only captive breeding project in the last two decades with the main objective of reintroducing individuals in the future. Here we present some of the historical accounts to demonstrate the suitability of the species to captivity. We then describe the Chilean semi-captive breeding program (begun in 2005) including capture, transport, site selection, construction design and maintenance procedures of the two centres. The first centre has grown from an initial two adults to nine individuals. The second centre, which initially served for rehabilitation of an injured male, is awaiting arrival of some females. The success of the current program demonstrates that huemul can do well in captivity, and wherever considered beneficial, could serve as a significant conservation tool for the recovery of the species, inclusive of a research program and reintroductions to qualified sites.
Actas de Taller: Hacia un plan para la conservación del Huemul Hippocamelus Bisulcus (Molina, 1782) en la zona austral de Chile. (11-12 de Noviembre 2010, Punta Arenas)
