Alpacas are incredibly cute, fuzzy animals with marvelous large eyes.  They are members of the camel family and are actually related to the bactrian and dromedary camels as well as to the other South American Camelids, the llama, vicuña, and guanaco.

It appears that alpacas evolved from vicuñas, a smaller camelid with the finest natural fleece on Earth.  Alpacas have been domesticated for over 6,000 years, while vicuñas are completely wild and cannot be domesticated.  Until recently alpacas resided exclusively in the Andes Mountains of South America, the overwhelming majority in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.  However in 1984 alpacas were first imported into the United States.  Since that time there have been exportations of these animals across the globe, although since 1998 no further importations have occurred into the United States due to the closure of the Alpaca Registry to imported animals.  After Europeans invaded South America llamas and alpacas almost totally disappeared due to massive and indiscriminate killing.  The entire civilized world, and especially the North American alpaca community, owes an incredible debt of gratitude to the Aymara and Quechua natives of the Andes who saved these animals from extinction then, and who still care for them now.

     There are two types of alpacas, huacaya and suri.  They differ, essentially, in the character of their fleece, giving each a very distinctive appearance.  Huacayas have fluffy, crimped fiber which gives them the appearance of teddy bears with a long neck and long legs.  Suris have pendulous locks without crimp and, often, incredible luster.  Throughout the world 90% of alpacas are huacaya and only 10% suri.  However, in the United States suris represent 15-20% of the registered alpacas.

     Presently, over 150,000 alpacas are registered in the United States (as compared to millions living in South America).  Since the registry is now closed to new imports, the growth rate of the North American herd will be somewhat slower, tied to the breeding rate of the animals who presently reside here.  For the past twenty years alpacas have been an excellent livestock investment in the United States and it appears that the production rate cannot keep up with the demand.  Under these circumstances alpacas will continue to be a reliable investment for the foreseeable future.

     Why alpacas?

  Alpacas are cute.  Alpacas are gentle and friendly.  Alpacas are herd animals but have very individual personalities to which people easily relate.  Alpacas have magnificent fleece in numerous natural colors (more than any other natural fiber) which can be spun, woven, and knitted into garments which are light-weight, warm, and stronger than other natural fibers.  Alpacas are relatively small (for the most part 120-180 lbs.) and therefore easy to handle.  Alpacas have soft pads on their feet instead of hooves and therefore don’t tear up the terrain.  Alpacas have a split upper lip, lower incisors, and a dental pad without upper incisors so that they can graze very selectively.  Alpaca fleece has been coveted for its fine qualities for thousands of years.  The Incas of Peru valued their alpaca textiles more than they valued their gold and, in fact, used alpaca cloth as a medium of exchange.  Only the Incan nobility were allowed to wear alpaca garments.  The qualities these ancient peoples found so enticing are still valued highly today.  The combination of a wonderful, valuable fleece with a lovable, gentle animal can make for a beautiful way of life for those fortunate enough to be able to own and care for these animals.

     Alpacas are hardy, adaptable creatures who have few intrinsic diseases.  They are very sure-footed and rarely injure themselves.  Their overall care involves occasional nail-trimming, occasional tooth-trimming, worming, routine vaccinations, and yearly shearing.  They do very well on small plots of land requiring about one acre for every 5-10 animals.  Alpacas eat grass and therefore will generally do very well on North American pasture with hay and grain supplementation as necessary.  They always need a supply of fresh clean water.  In the Andes Mountains the alpaca became adapted to temperatures ranging from 28-70 degrees F. year-round.  In North America they need protection from severe heat as well as severe cold.  When given this protection (shade trees, loafing sheds, barns) they take advantage of it whenever they need to without any prodding.

 Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA)

     Alpaca breeders in the United States are very well organized.  The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA) sponsors numerous alpaca shows where there are halter and fleece competitions.  AOBA also has a large array of educational opportunities for newcomers as well as veteran alpaca owners.  The Alpaca and Llama Show Association (ALSA) also offers opportunities for halter and obstacle course competitions.  The Alpaca Registry, Inc. (ARI) maintains a DNA record of every registered alpaca in the United States as well as some from foreign countries.  There are many local affiliates of AOBA which provide education and support for their members as well as educational events aimed at the general public.  AOBA and its affiliates can provide an enormous amount of information regarding our fuzzy buddies, but there is no substitute for seeing them in person and speaking to the folks who love them and care for them.  Alpaca owners enjoy having visitors and most of them cannot be stopped once they start talking about their animals.