La vicuña del Perú, la lana más fina del mundo: Peru, incas,The chaccu, ancient technique for vicuna wool

Vicuna and the chaccu, contribution to rural economy

The "chaccu" is herding the vicunas to areas surrounded by hundreds of people, which are reducing the siege and lead the vicunas to the "Tank traps" tapered. Eventually they choose carefully the specimens are sheared for their precious fiber.

Vicuna fiber is one of the finest animal that exists in the world; a kilo can cost up to $ 450 in the local market and to 2000 on the international market. Around the fur, only the part of the back by clipping.

To form a human fence, days before it is placed as a mesh fence and a small rustic farm yard is created: people flames fringed streamers of different colors, pushing vicunas on a walk three kilometers to take them to the corral. Every step is an effort so high. "Chaccu !, chaccu!" Is the cry heard in the field.

With the vicunas in the corral, they choose a young vicuña and after a small cut on the tip of his ear, the Inca offered his blood to the apus, while drums and flutes accompany the fervor to revive an ancient tradition.

The 'chaccu' vicuna, as a ceremony is performed between 24 and 25 June, but is repeated in the permitted period (May-September) for more fiber.

A vicuna can be obtained on average 200 grams of fiber.

In 2014, 266 kilos of fiber is achieved only in Lucanas. In Lucanas, there are 15,000 animals from which 1,400 kilos of fiber per year, generating an income of $ 400,000 a year used to finance economic activities, caring for the vicuña and other uses that benefit the community are extracted.

The Chaccu is an ancient practice that allows the sustainable use of the vicuña, and is documented by chroniclers as Bernabé Cobo (1582-1657) in "History of the New World" (1653). There are illustrations of Baltasar Martínez Compañón in the eighteenth century.

La Pampa Galeras National Reserve Barbara D'Achille is located in the province of Lucanas, Ayacucho region, more than 4,000 meters above sea level is the setting for the realization of the "National Festival of chaccu", held on 24 June each year. In this book the vicuna population of the country and the world is concentrated.

Visitors should contact the authorities of the National Service of Natural Protected Areas (Sernanp) by Pampa Galeras to get a space and register before entering the protected area.

One of the activities is the "trekking" or walking through the reserve to observe the natural wonders, the Puya Raimondi, forests and quishuar queñua, old "tricks" Inca, cave paintings and visit the operating module controlled camel wild.

Among the twenty species of birds in the National Reserve, is the condor, the parihuana the pissaca and kiula; Also the duck jargon and speckled teal. In addition to the vicuna and the guanaco, is the taruca, Andean fox, puma, vizcacha the muca and weasel.

You have to be physically prepared, as the reserve is about 4,000 meters above sea level and some people may experience the ravages of high and endure the "altitude sickness".

At present, the chaccu part of the festivities sponsored PROMPERÚ and is promoted by the regions as an eco tourism event. Shearing, objective first is preceded by offerings and propitiatory rites.