Chinchillas: Endangered and Close to Extinction

Chinchillas: Endangered and Close to Extinction

Chinchillas are cute rodents that have soft and dense fur. They actually got their name from the Andes natives, Chincha people who wore coats made from their fur. However not only were the Chincha people hunting them, the Westerners were as well, as they too have become enamored with the soft coat.

These chinchillas are endangered species because they were originally hunted and captured for their fur. Due to their small stature, many are killed just for one coat. Because of this, by the 19th century, they have become extremely rare.

The trade for their fur dates back to the 16th century. Their fur was very popular due to its softness and even color. During those times, their fur was sold only for about fifteen cents each, today though they are sold for more than those figures, reaching to thousands of dollars for a single coat. Unlike before though, there is now a law against the hunting and capturing of these small animals. This treaty was first introduced in 1910 when Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and Peru banned the hunting and commercialization of chinchillas. However, these laws are not enough to deter those who are in remote areas to stop their hunting and trapping ways.

Of the two species, the Brevicaudata is very near extinction as compared to its counterpart. This is due to the fact that when Mathias F. Chapman petitioned to Chile the capture of these animals, the species that he caught were all Lanigera, thus allowing the long-tailed Lanigera to be bred in captivity.