Alpaca

Alpacas are one of the camelid species of South America.  There are four species of South American camelid: Llamas and Alpacas are domesticated and Vicuna (Vicugna vicugna) and Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) remain wild and are protected species.

Alpacas are found in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3,500 m (11,500 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft) above sea-level.

Alpacas are considerably smaller than llamas, and unlike llamas, they were not bred to be beasts of burden but specifically for their fibre (wool) which is used for making knitted and woven items including  blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves, a wide variety of textiles and ponchos in South America. It is used to make sweaters, socks, coats and bedding in other parts of the world.

Alpacas were thought to have been domesticated from the wild vicuna six to seven thousand years ago. The Incas were very successful in further refining the alpaca for better fibre quality. When the Spanish invaded Peru in 1532, they destroyed the breeding programmes and the alpacas were decimated in numbers and quality in favour of sheep.

Where they live:  South America in the Andes of southern Peru Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Chile.

Habitat: The arid grasslands of the Andean plateau.

Size: About 0.9 m tall at the shoulder.

      Weight: On average 68kg.

      Life span: 20 years

Conservation status: Not listed.

Threats: Not threatened

Fun Facts:

• Alpaca meat was once considered a delicacy by Andean inhabitants.
• Alpacas use a communal dung pile, where they do not graze.
• There are now thought to be about 3.5 million alpacas in South America.