Chinchilla

Species description

While you may be familiar with the chinchilla as a pet and think there's no way they could be endangered as you can find them at your neighborhood Petsmart, both species of chinchilla are currently listed as Endangered in the wild by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a severe population loss.

There are two species of chinchilla, Chinchilla chinchilla and Chinchilla lanigera. It is the first of these that is considered the wild species and the one is close to extinction, while the Chinchilla lanigera is the species most often kept as pets.

Species habitat and range

Chinchillas originate from the Andes mountains in Chile. They were once found in Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia but it's believed that they are now extinct in these areas. The IUCN Red List's latest estimates put the wild population of adult chinchillas at 5,350 as of 2021.

Species role (niche) in ecosystem

Chinchilla's roles in an ecosystem is to spread seeds. Chinchillas are herbivores. Their diet in the wild consists of plants, roots, and grasses.

Cause of decline

The chinchilla's chief predator is humans, and this has been the reason for their decline. Since chinchilla fur makes soft and beautiful coats, millions of chinchillas were killed for their pelts until they became nearly extinct in the 1940's. To make one chinchilla coat you need 120 to 150 pelts.

This species has also been affected by deforestation from the mining industry in the areas where they live, which has caused habitat loss. 

Importance and why we should care

We should care about protecting chinchillas because we as humans are the problem. We need to change our perspective on using fur for fashion. It is not necessary in the modern age and we need to reexamine whether this luxury item is worth making this beautiful species go extinct. We need to reduce the EGO and focus on the ECO and protecting this species.

Current conservation efforts

There have been different conservation efforts with wild chinchillas to work to protect their habitat. One effort is the Tulsa Zoo which supports the conservation of wild chinchillas through habitat restoration in central Chile. 

Geography tools can aid in this conservation efforts by tracking where in Chile the chinchilla's are located and working to protect those specific spots from hunting and habitat loss.

How to help

1. DO NOT BUY ANY ITEMS MADE FROM ANIMAL FUR! Only purchase items made with vegan faux fur or animal products. This not only helps chinchillas but other species as well that are sought after for their fur or skins.

2. Since 1995, Save the Wild Chinchillas has been restoring and protecting essential habitats for endangered chinchillas while deterring further habitat degradation. You can donate to this organization here: https://www.savethewildchinchillas.org/ 

3. Support the creation of higher international regulatory standards by electing politicians who care about protecting the environment and reducing climate change and deforestation.

4. Many of the reasons for chinchilla habitat loss is from gold mining. Instead of buying gold, consider more eco-friendly alternatives like cobalt, steel, and tantalum. Even sterling silver has a lower environmental impact than gold.

5. The population of chinchillas is severely fragmented, which makes conservation and protection harder. We need to continue the research being done on where chinchillas are located, which you can help support through supporting The Tulsa Zoo. https://tulsazoo.org/save-the-wild-chinchillas-inc/