As adorable as their name, chinchillas are rodents seen in the Andes Mountains of Northern Chile. These beautiful creatures are best known for their soft, velvet-like fur.
But sadly, the same feature has taken them close to extinction. They are one of the most critically endangered species on Earth, as classified by the IUCN Red List.
The population of wild chinchillas has been in danger for at least a hundred years. Previously, they were found extensively in the coastal regions, hills and mountains of Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. But poaching, hunting, habitat destruction, deforestation etc have strictly confined the animals to the very few regions where they are now seen.
In 1920, legal measures were framed by the countries to protect the species. However, they still don’t help as required. Poaching for fur has been the greatest threat before chinchillas.
Picture credit: google