What is an Alpaca?

An alpaca is a domesticated species of the South American camel family. They originate from the Andes of Southern Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile where they were kept in herds that grazed on the plains. An adult alpaca is around 90 cm in height at the shoulder and weighs 60-84 kgs. Alpacas are beautiful and are bred specifically for their soft luxurious fibre. There are two breeds; the Huacaya and the Suri. Huacaya alpacas produce a dense, soft crimpy sheep like fibre, and the Suri produces silky pencil-like locks, resembling dread-locks.

After the intrusion of Spanish conquistadors around 1530 sheep and other European livestock were brought into South America, and the Andean people with their Alpacas were pushed high up into Andes... where they have predominantly remained to this day. The 'push' to higher altitudes was the result of mass slaughter of not only thousands upon thousands of alpacas but of the Inca people as well as their king. The introduction of these animals brought diseases hitherto unknown to the South American continent. Peru's Quecha peoples are custodians of a vast alpaca population where a pastoral life exists above the tree line at around 3,000 m above sea level. Interestingly Huacaya is a Quecha word for "Sacred Soul". Alpacas were very special to the Andean people, they provided all the fibre for their clothing as well as being used for weaving their stories into tapestries that still exist today.

History shows that the extreme fineness of alpaca fibre pre the Spanish invasion has to this day still to be replicated, and that is our aim, to breed beautiful alpacas with heaps of lovely soft fleece, assisting them to attain their original magnificence.