Around the ALMA construction site, we can see unique animals and plants native to the Andes. We sometimes find vicunas on the road to the Array Operations Site (AOS) at 5000 m asl. The vicuna is a relative of the llama (native animal domesticated around a nearby village at 2400 m asl) in the same camel family (Camelidae), and lives in herds of several individuals. Unlike friendly llamas, vicunas seem to be very cautious and never come close to humans or vehicles.
[Photographed by Teruomi Tsuno (NAOJ)]