Globerovers Magazine, July 2019

Argentina: The South
TIERRA DEL FUEGO
Tierra del Fuego National Park has
dramatic scenery and wildlife.
From Ushuaia, it’s a pleasant day
trip into the nearby Parque Nacional
Tierra Del Fuego. Established
in 1960 and expanded in 1966, the park is
well-known for its dramatic scenery with
waterfalls, forests, mountains and glaciers.
Look out for several species of mammals,
including the guanaco, Andean fox,
and the North American beaver. Ignore the
many European rabbits as they don’t belong
here, and neither do other introduced
species such as Canadian beaver, muskrat
rodent, mink and armadillo.
A few pairs of European rabbits were
introduced to the Chilean side of Tierra
del Fuego Island in 1936 and knowing
these bunnies, they multiplied rapidly. Due
to these unwelcome breeders, the ground
in many parts of the park became riddled
with holes, and some areas denuded of
vegetation.
Back in 1950, the rabbit population
was estimated to be a whopping 30
million. In an attempt to control them,
grey foxes, which never existed on Tierra
del Fuego Island, were released in 1951.
The grey fox and the native Patagonian fox
did not do much to control the rabbit population,
so
the muchfeared
myxoma
virus
that causes
myxomatosis
in rabbits was introduced. It almost
decimated the entire rabbit population,
however, some survived so today there
are plenty of rabbits to be seen within the
park.
from the nation’s capital, Buenos Aires.
The Martial Range to the north of
Ushuaia offers good ski runs. Taking the
Aerosilla chairlift to the top during any
time of the year offers spectacular panoramas
over the mountains, Tierra Del Fuego
Park, Ushuaia, and the Beagle Channel.
At the exit
of the chairlift
is the Club Andino
Ushuaia
shelter which
is a great place
for a rest and a drink. From here the trail
leads to the base of Glacier Martial, which
runs alongside a little mountain river in
its last stage. However, if conditions are
favourable, the panoramic views are more
impressive than the actual glacier. Glacier
Martial has shrunk dramatically over
the past century, as is shown in the photographs
on display in the shelter’s café.
The 63,000 hectares Tierra del Fuego National Park
stretches from the Beagle Channel to the edges of Lago
Kami at the southernmost point of Argentine Patagonia.
Among the many species of birds in
the park are kelp goose, upland goose,
torrent duck, southern crested caracara,
Austral parakeet, Andean condor, blackish
oystercatcher, and the Magellanic oystercatcher.
In addition to the fauna and flora, the
park is also famous for being the southern
terminus of the Pan-American Highway
(National Route 3), a highway which runs
3,045 kilometres (1,892 mi) all the way
So now we have made it all the way
down to Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel.
Going any farther south, we will enter
the most southern territory of Chile, Isla
Navarino and the Wollaston Islands. Next
stop is the Antarctic Peninsula which we
will leave for next time. GR
Upland goose.
Chimango caracara.
Scenery in Tierra del Fuego National Park.
Darwin’s fungus.
Black-faced Ibis.
32 Globerovers · July 2019