RESCUES

Sandy, a rescue llama

Another llama is rescued

His Name is Sandy . His plight came
to the attention of the internet camelid
e-mail list in early December,1996.
Sandy had been living with sheep,
cows and various other livestock
since he had been sold as a weanling.
He had no other llamas to relate to in
his new home and had been used as a
sheep guard for a couple of years. As
Sandy began to reach maturity, he,
not knowing any better, tried to breed
the ewes. He was removed from the
sheep pasture and tied to a fence in a
pasture with cows. He had long ago
outgrown his halter, but it had not
been removed from his head, causing
deep scars and abscesses to form on
his nose and jaw. It is estimated that
he had been tied to a fence for
several months and was not getting
the proper nutrition or shelter
required by a llama. His coat was
matted with mud and feces. His
owner agreed to sell him and the list
members generously donated enough
to cover his purchase. The folks at
Gentle Spirit Llamas and Baker's
Critter Creek Ranch coordinated the
purchase and transportation to his
new home. Sandy was cared for at
Baker's Critter Creek Ranch in Port
Townsend, Washington till he was
adopted by a 4H family.

Sandy's story had a happy ending. Other llamas have not been so lucky and
have ended up at meat auctions or sold to unsuspecting folks who don't have
the slightest idea how to care for llamas. Please . . . if you're considering
buying llamas, educate yourself about their care and training first. Llamas live
to be more than twenty years old so you're making a long-term commitment.

Visit a lot of llama farms before buying your first llamas. Take a notebook and
camera. Ask questions. Don't impulsively buy the first llama who gives you a
kiss. If you tire of him a year from now, where will he go? When you finally
decide you're ready to take the plunge and bring a couple of llamas home (you
must have at least two, you know), make sure you buy from a reputable
source where the former owners will provide you with the support you need as
you learn.

Connect with a good veterinarian who has other llamas in his/her practice.

Don't consider breeding llamas till you're clear about your long range goals.
And then, only breed the best. Learn about conformation, temprament, and
make sure the llama you buy can function in the role you've assigned him. Not
every llama will make a good packer. Some llamas are great doing public
relations and some are not. Do you want him to learn to pull a cart? Have him
evaluated ahead of time to insure he has the athletic ability for it.

If you are able, willing, and have the resources to take in a couple of rescue
llamas, by all means do so. You won't regret it. The rewards of llama
ownership are great and even greater when you know you've saved a llama
from an unhappy end.

Below are a few links to rescue and training sites. Visit them and learn. We've
included some links describing behavioral problems so you won't be tempted
to buy that over friendly, in-your-face male.