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Alpaca

The natural habitat of alpacas is in the Andes of South America at an altitude of 3 - 5,000 meters. At this altitude, extreme climatic conditions prevail, to which the alpaca is perfectly adapted. The animals live freely in large herds and are only caught for shearing.

Alpacas are gentle and intelligent animals. They communicate with each other with the help of bright humming sounds. Their large black eyes, their friendly and good-natured nature and their humming make them so indescribably lovable.

Alpacas are very social creatures and feel most comfortable in groups. They are herbivores and feed almost exclusively on grasses. The animals are sheared once a year and the wool is processed into high-quality alpaca yarn. The shearing is necessary so that the fur does not become matted and there is no heat build-up under the hair. The alpaca is the only camel species that does not shed its fur on its own; there is no seasonal change of coat.

There are two types of alpaca that differ in their fur. The Huacaya alpaca has a fine, evenly curled fiber and a few awn hairs (guard hairs). The Suri alpaca has no crimp in the fiber. The hair hangs down from the animal in curly, straight strands, which often makes it appear thinner than the huacaya alpaca. Huacaya alpacas make up about 85% of the total population, while Suri alpacas make up the remaining 15%.

The coat colors of the animals range from pure white to beige and all shades of brown and reddish brown to shades of gray and deep black.There are also multi-colored, pied animals in many variations. There is no other animal in the world that has so much natural color variety.The life expectancy of an alpaca is between 20 and 25 years.

Alpaca - History

Alpaca was already highly valued by the Incas several millennia ago and garments made from alpaca wool were considered a sign of wealth and prosperity. A coat made of alpaca wool was considered a status symbol. The domestication of alpacas began as early as 3,000 BC and the animals were mainly bred in large herds for their wool.

The Spanish conquistadors, who did not recognize the value of alpaca fibres and showed little interest in them, almost wiped out the alpaca. The alpacas were decimated and the pastures were used for the sheep they brought with them. During this time, alpacas gradually became the livestock of the poor indigenous population.

After the South American countries regained their independence, the value of the alpaca was rediscovered and the breeding of these wonderful animals began again. For traditional shepherds and knitters in the Peruvian highlands, alpacas are now an important factor in their livelihood. Many families earn their living by breeding alpacas and processing wool.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Alpaca - Development

The alpaca, as we know it today, belongs to the New World camelid family and is descended from an original type that lived in what is now North America. The camels living in Asia today and the vicuñas and guanacos living in South America, from which the llama and alpaca are descended, developed from this original form.

The main distribution area is in South America, in the high plains of the Andes, the Altiplano. The extensive area around the border between Peru, Bolivia and Chile with Lake Titicaca in the middle is considered to be the origin of the main population of alpacas. The approximately 4 million alpacas that live in this area make up around 80 % of the global alpaca population.

The alpaca has now also arrived in Europe and more and more animals can be seen grazing here and there. Due to the domestic and companion animal character of the calm and peaceful alpacas, they are also used in animal-assisted therapy.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Alpaca - Sustainability

Alpaca was already highly valued by the Incas several millennia ago and garments made from alpaca wool were considered a sign of wealth and prosperity. A coat made of alpaca wool was considered a status symbol. The domestication of alpacas began as early as 3,000 BC and the animals were mainly bred in large herds for their wool.

The Spanish conquistadors, who did not recognize the value of alpaca fibres and showed little interest in them, almost wiped out the alpaca. The alpacas were decimated and the pastures were used for the sheep they brought with them. During this time, alpacas gradually became the livestock of the poor indigenous population.

After the South American countries regained their independence, the value of the alpaca was rediscovered and the breeding of these wonderful animals began again. For traditional shepherds and knitters in the Peruvian highlands, alpacas are now an important factor in their livelihood. Many families earn their living by breeding alpacas and processing wool.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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