The huemul - or South Andean deer, as it is also known - is rarely sighted, and with less than 2000 animals living in the wild in Chile and Argentina, Patagonia, the species is threatened with extinction.
Therefore, Argentinian veterinarians from Fundación Temaiken, working on a breeding program organized and directed by Fundación Shoonem, needed to translocate a number of animals from the wild to the research facilities.
The team used DANiNJECT rifles and darts for the immobilization of the animals to secure both effective and safe sedation of the endangered animals.
In late 2022, the team managed to locate and immobilize 5 huemuls that were then successfully translocated to the research facilities. The plan is to release the animals back into the wild at a later time.
Werner Flueck, director of the Shoonem project, darting the first Huemul male in 2017. 
Photo credit: Martin Falzone, Fundacion Temaiken
