The Guanaco is the second largest of the South American Camelids. They possess an ultrafine fibre, finer than the best Cashmere. Guanaco fibre is light, incredibly warm, lustrous and super-soft. Its natural colour is honey or caramel. It has a luxury feel that is a pleasure to wear next to the skin.
Guanaco can be found at altitudes ranging from sea level in Tierra del Fuego to 12,000 feet above seal level along the Andes of Northern Chile, Peru and Argentina. The environments that they inhabit range from the Atacama Desert to snow capped, wind swept peaks, glaciers and forests of the Andean steppe.
It has been estimated that in the 1500s there were 30-35 million Guanaco roaming South America. With the arrival of Europeans the Guanaco were hunted close to extinction. In 1975 they were placed on the CITES list. This is an International agreement restricting the trade in certain endangered animals and plants. Most of the remaining populations are restricted to protected areas although there are increasing numbers in domestic situations around the world.