All photos from this trip were taken with a 50mm lens. This focal length is the closest to human vision. That is, it neither brings the subject closer nor farther away. So you can imagine how close these 3 vicuñas let me get! They are wild animals and I couldn’t believe how peaceful they were. Suddenly surprised by the snow and the cold, I had just come down as fast as I could from the already high altitude of the Chimborazo volcano and was very excited to see these animals standing out against the freshly spread white.
The vicuna is the smallest of the camelids. To give you an idea, its height at the withers is between 75 cm and 1 m, it is 1.20 to 1.80 m long and its average weight is 50 kg. It’s smaller and more delicate than the guanacos, llamas and alpacas also found in South America. His warm coat is extremely fine, even finer than cashmere or alpaca, in comparison, only silk remains finer in natural fibers. Its exploitation is strictly controlled and limited to protect the species, making it the most expensive wool in the world. Its price per kilo can vary between 300 and 600 euros, which means that you’ll have to spend an average of 3,000 euros for a sweater made of vicuña wool! I don’t have a sweater, but the gift they gave me of letting me get close to them and take their picture was far more valuable to me.