aving Chile's Endangered Wildlife: Fernando Vidal's 24Year Mission

In this captivating interview, we sit down with Fernando Vidal, a former airline employee who has dedicated the past 24 years to protecting Chile's threatened native species. Fernando shares his inspiring journey of establishing Fauna Andina, a wildlife reserve focused on rescuing and breeding animals like pumas, guignas (the smallest cat in the Americas), and the endangered huemul deer.

Highlights:
How Fernando and his wife used their life savings to purchase land for the reserve in 2000
The challenges of pioneering captive breeding techniques for elusive species like the guigna
Successfully reintroducing captivebred guignas back into the wild in areas where they had disappeared
Overcoming the odds to breed the critically endangered Andean huemul after experts had failed
The daily struggles of protecting the reserve's animals from poachers

Fernando provides insights into the guigna's biology, revealing how their slow reproductive rate makes conservation efforts all the more critical. He also discusses the politics surrounding wildlife rehabilitation in Chile and the urgent need for more funding to expand breeding facilities and hire rangers.

This video sheds light on the tireless work of a conservation hero unknown to much of the world. Fernando's dedication to Chile's iconic species is an inspiration to all who care about protecting our planet's biodiversity. Learn more about Fernando at https://bigcatrescue.org/fernandovid...

You can donate to help this project at:
https://bigcatrescue.salsalabs.org/Gi...

Keywords: Chile wildlife, guigna, huemul, puma, conservation, endangered species, rescue, captive breeding, animal rehabilitation, wildlife reserve, poaching

BIG CAT TV is a close look into the wild cat conservation efforts we support, and the exotic feline residents of Big Cat Rescue who we now support at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Big Cat Rescue is a registered nonprofit 501c3 so your donations are tax deductible.

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