IN PATAGONIA, A NEW REHAB CENTER PROVIDES A LIFELINE TO THE AMERICAS’ MOST ENDANGERED DEER
Hunting and habitat loss has made the huemul deer one of the planet’s most endangered mammals, with approximately 1500 individuals remaining in the wild. A new rehabilitation center for the species, run by the nonprofit Rewilding Chile, has treated and released its first patient: a stag suffering from a livestock-spread disease, now returned to Cerro Castillo National Park, home to 10% of the remaining species population. (Header photo by Rodrigo Pacheco)
August 5, 2026—Coyhaique, CHILE In the heart of Patagonia, the glacier-laden Cerro Castillo National Park is a top attraction for hikers, but it’s also ground zero for a livestock-spread disease that’s attacking the remnant population of one of the world’s most endangered species: the South Andean deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus), or huemul. Though it doesn’t pose a serious threat to humans or livestock, it’s debilitating and often deadly for this rare Andean deer whose population has already plummeted by 99%.
Racing to aid in the species’ recovery, Rewilding Chile, the offspring organization of Tompkins Conservation, created the Huemul Rescue and Rehabilitation Center adjacent to the park, in collaboration with Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG). It’s the first treatment center equipped to help the species in their natural habitat. The first patient, a young stag nicknamed Distraido, underwent a month of intensive treatment at the center and was set free to rejoin his herd. Wildlife rangers will continue to monitor him via a VHF transmitter.
“There’s very little knowledge of how to work with huemul deer in captivity,” according to Cristian Saucedo, Wildlife Director at Rewilding Chile, ”so we can actually say that the successful treatment and release of Distraido marks a before and after in huemul conservation.”
Distraido suffered from large abscesses caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, an infectious agent diagnosed in 2015 in Cerro Castillo National Park. Transmitted by domestic livestock, it causes caseous lymphadenitis. Treatment with antibiotics is straightforward, but difficult to undertake in the wild, since it requires repeat captures.
The Rewilding Chile treats an abcess and transfers Distraido. (Photographs by Rodrigo Pacheco (left) and Rigoberto Jofre)
These much-needed interventions complement the existing efforts of The Huemul Corridor, a large-scale conservation strategy to reconnect populations throughout the southern Andes, undertaken by Rewilding Chile in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Forestry Service (CONAF), and National Agricultural & Livestock Service (SAG), since 2023.
Kristine Tompkins, President of Tompkins Conservation, said, “Without these interventions, the huemul deer would surely be lost to history. It’s not only a symbol of Chile, but a keystone species restoring its ecosystems. By helping the huemul thrive, the work started here can reverberate for generations.”
About the facility
The Huemul Rescue and Rehabilitation Center occupies the former site of a sheep and cattle ranch. In 2019, Rewilding Chile acquired the land to protect key habitat for the species, and worked with volunteers to remove fences to restore connectivity for herds of huemul deer. Despite local losses, the region of Aysén remains a key stronghold for the species.
Over the past century, livestock grazing in Patagonia has contributed to habitat fragmentation and enabled the transmission of disease from livestock to huemul, such as Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, the causative agent of caseous lymphadenitis. Other threats for the species include attacks and harassment by dogs, collisions with vehicles, habitat fragmentation, and the effect of invasive species such as red deer and wild boar.
The rehabilitation center is adjacent to Cerro Castillo National Park where the Forestry Service (Conaf) and the National Agricultural & Livestock Service are undertaking regular interventions with the species. Daily operations at the center are carried out by veterinarians and wildlife rangers experienced in the capture and transfer of huemuls.
The 12-acre site includes a clinic, quarantine area, pre-release pens, and housing for wildlife rangers.