Vicuña From The Peruvian Altiplano At Half Shearing. Stock Image

Vicuña from the Peruvian altiplano at half shearing. The vicuña is the most valuable type of camelid in Peru. They live in the wild in the highlands, but they are sheared to take advantage of their valuable wool. One kg. of vicuña wool at origin costs 500 dollars. For this reason, all production of vicuña wool is controlled by the government, which pays the highland herders to shear them every two years. When it is time to shear the vicuñas, only the wool of the loin is cut A vicuña wool scarf costs around 1000 euros, so very expensive.