The global community responded to concerns about the status and future of the Patagonian huemul, an endemic deer of southern Chile and Argentina, by creating the Huemul Task Force.
The Huemul Task Force resides within the Species Survival Commission of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). In this way it is connected to the greater conservation community, improving awareness of the huemul predicament and conservation needs.
Our Mandate:
Considering that huemul may be a keystone species, its recovery would contribute to the conservation and sustainability of its natural habitats. The Huemul Task Force will provide recommendations and guidelines based on sound scientific information through which recovery of huemul can be achieved. It will work on two main issues: determining the current status of huemul and evaluating how that knowledge can be applied within the realities of Chilean and Argentine conditions to achieve a recovery of the species. The goal is to develop a Huemul Action Plan.
Objectives:
1. to provide reliable scientific information on the species’ status and assess prospects for huemul recovery;
2. to assess and monitor the status of the species and to respond to requests for information and expertise. This will be done through the Huemul Scientific Committee;
3. members of the Huemul Task Force will evaluate the applicability of various alternatives for conservation actions; and
4. to encourage the local and international communities to support conservation actions such as seeking ways to gain new insights on huemul biology and ecology in its natural habitat.
Work Plan for 2007/08:
1. During the first 6 months, the Huemul Scientific Committee will prepare an outline of issues to be covered with the objective to work towards the completion of a biological status report.
2. Review and compile information to be used for a biological status report.
The Chair of the Huemul Task Force, Jaime E. Jimenez works out of the Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile.