Alpacas – How Weird Are They?
I recently came across a list of the 25 Weirdest Animals. Alpacas are number 15. You’ve got to see some of the other ones. I agree that many of them are weird. The Pink Fairy Armadillo and the Dumbo Octopus for example.
Why have some people never herd heard of alpacas? Because there are not that many of them. Alpacas as a species were almost wiped off the face of the Earth by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas in 1528. During the next 100 years, the Spanish reduced the alpaca population by 90%! While the alpaca population continues to grow worldwide, alpaca fleece still accounts for less than 1% of the fiber processed in the world.
In North America, it is our desire to breed more alpacas in order to produce more fiber. The more common alpacas become, the less likely they will be to make the Weird Animal list. A couple of years ago, I was shopping and saw some stickers of baby farm animals. The stickers had an Easter theme and had baby chicks, bunnies, lambs and BABY ALPACAS (called cria)! After I picked myself up off the floor, I bought the stickers and ran home to tell every alpaca breeder I knew.
Alpacas become more mainstream and less weird every day. But what do you think? Leave me a comment and tell me – How weird are they?
November 25th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Having met them in person, I would have to say they ARE unusual in a good way. No one can describe how incredibly soft they are. It’s really a treat everyone should try to touch that luxurious fiber in person. It was almost so soft my hand couldn’t comprehend it when I got a chance to stroke an alpaca!
And then, they are so gentle, quiet and peaceful and graceful. I can totally understand why only the royalty in the Incan civilizations were allowed to own them.
And then those huge gorgeous eyes with sumptiously long eyelashes! I could go on . . . I have to say I’m a HUGE alpaca fan!! LOL
Gina – RoseThistleArtworkss last blog post..Elfin around Drawing from the ER
November 28th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Alpacas are surely different. Having raised them for 7 years I still get a frequent chuckle out of their funny ways.
They also have made me a lot more sensitive to non-verbal communication.
Alpacas literally talk all-the-time, you just have to watch and “listen” for the soft verbal queues and physical signals.
There’s a growing gift market for gifts which address the alpaca’s funny nature. From t-shirts to toys, we find alpaca on more and more items.
Will alpaca ever be as mainstream as sheep or cattle? Perhaps, but hopefully their unique personalities and soft nature will be preserved.
-Brian
Battle Ground, WA
May 1st, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Hello there, I googled Alpaca Farm Girl » Alpacas – How Weird Are They? and your web page was in the primary few websites, you must be doing something suitable for google to like your posts a lot. Have you ever pondered blogging for money?