Andes wildlife is replanting the Earth – one dung pile at a time

Andes wildlife is replanting the Earth – one dung pile at a time

High up in the mountains, in a rocky world left behind by melting glaciers, life finds an unlikely jumpstart—thanks to poop. At nearly 18,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes, wild camelids called vicuñas have taken on a surprising role. By using shared dung piles, they help restore ecosystems in places where glaciers have recently disappeared. These latrines don’t just mark territory—they’re building blocks for new life in barren lands. Scientists fr…