WCS in Chile's O'Higgins National Park

The spectacular Bernardo O’Higgins National Park is one of the largest protected areas in South America. Covering a remote archipelago, the park contains part of the large Southern Andean Continental ice cap. This uninhabited region is a land of deep fiords, spectacular glaciers, and dense sub-Antarctic rainforests. It is also home to small pockets of the endangered huemul deer.

WCS began working in Chile in 1971, as part of our long-term commitment to flamingo conservation. In the 1980s, we extended support to projects focusing on the ecology and behavior of pudu and huemul deer, complementing our huemul conservation work in the Argentine Andes. Today WCS assists the Chilean National Parks Service (CONAF) to protect the 8.6 million acre O’Higgins National Park.

The Human Aspect
This region is sparsely populated. There is only one small fishing village within the park limits, which includes some 70 Kawaskar, or Alacaluf—the indigenous people of the archipelago. Current inhabitants of the park make a living by artisanal fishing and shellfish gathering. Although large sections of forest were destroyed by intentional fires in the first half of the 20th century, the forests are returning.

Threats
Although the largest single protected area in South America, Bernardo O’Higgins is still a “paper park.” Local artisanal fishermen are known to illegally hunt wildlife, including the endangered huemul deer. Huemul deer are surprisingly unafraid of people, making them extremely vulnerable. Furthermore, the huge salmon farming industry in southern Chile is threatening to move into currently unprotected fiords within the park.           

One of the most immediate threats comes from the lack of legal protection of the park’s marine areas. Current park status covers only the land surface and does not extend to fiords and waterways. These are the principal points of entry into the protected area and places where future development may occur.  Another threat is the potential introduction of cattle in some park sectors, which may result in habitat degradation.

WCS Activities
WCS is collaborating with institutional partners in Chile to coordinate conservation efforts in the Bernardo O´Higgins National Park. In partnership with the Centro de Aclimatación Zoológica, we have supported the effective implementation of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park by helping to establish and staff its first ranger station. This station, built on the shores of Iceberg Fiord, is in the northern section of the park. It provides a base for surveys of the little known wildlife of the region, including that of the sparsely inhabited Archipelago of Southern Chile. WCS provides continued support for the park's wardens.

Important Next Steps

• Evaluate huemul deer population size, distribution, and principal threats in Bernardo O´Higgins National Park.
• Survey the park to identify the locations of other wildlife, including colonies of marine birds and mammals on the Pacific coast.
• Evaluate current threats to the park, particularly the lack of legal protection for the marine areas, and take steps to intervene.
• Initiate education efforts and involve the local community in implementing the National Park.
• Assist the local community in developing alternative low impact uses of the park (e.g. tourism).