www.alpacasonline.co.uk
About Alpacas
Alpacas are a member of the Camelid family which include Llamas, Guanacos and Vicunas. Weighing around 6-8KG at birth, an adult can weigh 50-80KG and stand 32" at the shoulders. The life span of an Alpaca is between 15 and 20 years. The native habitat of Alpacas is the South American Altiplano which makes them very hardy animals, able to adapt to extremes of high and low temperature.
The alpaca industry is growing strongly in the UK and world wide, making them an exciting business opportunity. Alternatively they make very attractive pets for those people who want to keep the grass down on their paddocks
Alpacas are sociable animals and cannot be kept on their own, solitary animals will suffer from extreme stress however, it is possible to for an Alpaca to be kept with livestock such as sheep.
Alpaca in the UK
Standing at around 12000 the UK Alpaca population is relatively small compared to that of the South Americas which is around 3.5 million. Although the numbers are small, the British Alpaca population is steadily increasing each year as the demand for their exceptional fleece increases.
