• On International Huemul Day, a study conducted on the Puchegüín property in Cochamó revealed images of a male huemul traveling at least six kilometers between two Andean valleys—a journey that may have been associated with the search for a female. 

• The finding provides the first direct evidence that the same individual uses different areas within this 133,000-hectare property. It also reinforces Puchegüín’s importance within a biological corridor spanning more than 1.6 million hectares and connecting protected ecosystems in Chile and Argentina.

Camera traps installed within the proposed Puchegüín protected area in Cochamó recorded the same male huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) in two different valleys separated by approximately six kilometers of mountainous terrain. The research was conducted between January and April 2026 in the Manso River basin by Puelo Patagonia.

The NGO currently manages the entire property—which was acquired in December 2025 thanks to contributions from people in Chile and around the world—and is leading the process of turning it into a protected area that will permanently safeguard its natural and cultural values.

According to the organization, understanding how a species at serious risk of extinction moves through this landscape is essential to designing a protected area that responds to its actual needs and strengthens the connectivity of the 1.6-million-hectare biological corridor of protected ecosystems that includes Puchegüín.

“This information allows us to prioritize areas, guide conservation and public-use decisions, and protect ecological processes that are essential to the species’ survival,” said Guillermo Sapaj, Conservation Director at Puelo Patagonia.

The huemul that revealed the corridor 

Using 52 images, the researchers compared the huemuls’ distinctive markings and features, identifying 11 different individuals: eight males and three females.

Among them was the male that provided evidence of connectivity between the two areas. The shape of his antlers was key to recognizing him: he had a small additional tine on the upper part of his right antler, a unique feature that made it possible to identify him in nine records captured between January 13 and February 26. The cameras that captured these records were located approximately 5.97 to 6.24 kilometers apart in a straight line. However, because the cameras were situated in Andean valleys with steep slopes, the animal’s actual journey may have been considerably longer.

The same male was also recorded following a female during three of the five events in which pairs of huemuls were observed—a behavior associated with the species’ breeding season. This suggests that his movement between the two valleys may have been connected to the search for a mate.

“The records show that a functional connection still exists between these habitats. Maintaining that connection is essential so that huemuls can move, encounter one another, and reproduce, reducing the isolation of this subpopulation,” explained Fernando Novoa, Wildlife Researcher at Puelo Patagonia.

A key finding for an endangered species

Although the records provide an encouraging sign, the huemul’s situation remains critical. The 11 individuals identified during the monitoring period should not be interpreted as an estimate of the total size of this subpopulation.

The huemul is a deer species endemic to the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina. It is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature UICN. Fewer than 2,000 individuals are estimated to remain, distributed among small, fragmented, and vulnerable populations.

In Chile, the huemul’s distribution is highly fragmented. Although the species currently ranges from the Ñuble Region to Magallanes, it is not continuously distributed across this territory. Instead, it survives in small subpopulations that are isolated from one another. This lack of connectivity restricts the movement of individuals and the exchange of genetic material between groups.

“In this context, Puchegüín has strategic value for the conservation of the species. It is surrounded by protected areas and forms part of a biological corridor spanning more than 1.6 million hectares, which connects protected ecosystems in Chile and Argentina and where habitat connectivity is still maintained,” Sapaj said.

This finding represents another step forward in a Puelo Patagonia research initiative that, since 2019, has addressed increasingly specific questions about the huemul in the region. The research first confirmed the species’ presence in the municipality of Cochamó through photographic evidence. It subsequently expanded the species’ known northern range in Chilean Patagonia. Now, for the first time, it has demonstrated the movement of the same individual between different areas of Puchegüín—progressing from confirming the species’ presence to understanding how it uses the landscape.

Reaching this result also required combining scientific tools with the knowledge of people who live in the Andes. Camera locations were selected using satellite imagery, vegetation maps, field observations, and information provided by local residents about the areas where huemuls were most likely to be present.

Puelo Patagonia noted that the next challenge will be to maintain long-term monitoring, expand the research into new areas, identify the routes used by huemuls, and strengthen collaboration with researchers and communities on both sides of the Andes. The goal is to turn this knowledge into new conservation actions that will help protect this iconic and threatened species.