According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the species' original global population is estimated to have suffered reductions of 99 per cent in size and more than 50 per cent in distribution range.
Under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) (the Bonn Convention), a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Conservation of the huemul was concluded between Argentina and Chile, and came into effect on 4 December 2010.