What is an Alpaca?
The alpaca is an animal related to the llama, and camel and classified in the camelid family. Alpacas are the domesticated form of the guanaco; a South American wild animal that roams the mountain slopes of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
Alpacas originally played an important role in the ancient Incan culture where they were treasured for their soft fleece that was worn only by Incan royalty. Large herds of alpacas high in the mountain villages of the Andes were seen as a sign of great wealth and good fortune. Having been established as the primary source of income for the large part of the South American population in recent centuries, the alpacas was first brought to the United Sates from Chile in 1983, Bolivia 1991, and Peru in 1993. The registry closed with new animals being imported in 1998.
The alpaca looks like a huggable teddy bear, with thick, soft fiber that covers its eyes. Alpacas are gentle animals that are agreeable with people, hearty to raise, and easy to transport. They live above 20 years, stand about 3 feet in height, and weigh between 100 and 200 pounds. Much like cows and sheep, they graze on grasses and chew a cud. Alpaca reproduction is fairly trouble free and gestation is between 11-12 months.
