North West - Monumento Natural Taruca (North Andean Huemul)

Locally known as venado (stag), the taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis) is a deer typical of the mountainous regions of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and the northwest of Argentina.

They live in herds of up to fifteen individuals in the Andean grasslands. Their unfriendly nature makes them escape as soon as they sense danger. Similar to the huemul in size, they belong to the same gender and males also possess v-shaped antlers.

The excessive hunting and the modifications experienced by its habitat have decreased the number of individuals so sharply that it is regarded as an endangered species worldwide. Nowadays, the taruca is a protected specimen in the Parque National Calilegua. In 1996, the taruca was declared a Natural Monument.