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Alpacas -
General Information
Social Behavior
Alpacas are herd
animals. They do not do well alone and no reputable breeder will sell one
without being certain of a companion. Alpacas can be kept with other types of
animals but they prefer other alpacas. There is a definite pecking order within
the herd. In general, alpacas are mild-mannered and gentle. When threatened
they will band together and work as a unit.
 Alpacas are social
creatures. They communicate with one another with a variety of sounds. The
most common sound is a soft hum. Alpacas hum for many reasons. Sometimes it is
a sign of curiosity, and sometimes it is a sign of concern. Crias will cluck
back and forth with their mothers. Males orgle, which is a throaty gurgling sound, during breeding. And a threatened alpaca may sound an alarm call, which
is a high-pitched agitated sound.
Crias love to run
and play as a group. They neck wrestle, leap, chase, and often set to racing
around the pasture, jumping in a gazelle-like fashion called pronking. Even
older alpacas can be seen joining in the pronking fun.
Alpacas are
extraordinarily curious. A cat passing through the pasture can be an
irresistible temptation, especially for the younger alpacas. Hide and seek
between a kitten and a cria around the hay box is a delight to watch.
Alpacas are not
only social among themselves, but they are also social with people. Very
cat-like in their personality, alpacas determine the amount of attention or
affection a person gets. They are fond of children, perhaps because of their
size. They will approach a non-threatening adult with varying degrees of
trust. In the manner of reaching out a hand for a dog to sniff in greeting, it
is considered good manners to duck or bow your head so that an alpaca can sniff
your hair and take your measure.
The more familiar
an alpaca gets with a person, the greater the level of trust that is built.
This trust level makes routine heath care procedures like toenail trimming and
worming simple and virtually stress-free. Young alpacas are easily trained to
walk on a lead. Once comfortable on lead, an alpaca can be trained to complete
any number and variety of obstacles.
The more familiar
a person gets with their alpacas, the more aware he becomes of the subtle body
language alpacas demonstrate. Posture and movement are keys to unlocking the
mystery of these unusual animals. Extremely stoic and hardy, alpacas will go so
far as to mask their discomfort rather than appear vulnerable. Laboring mothers
have been known to stall their birthing process when threatened by too much
attention or activity.
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