The Joy of Alpaca
by Mike and Julie Safley
Source: The
Alpaca Library from Northwest
Alpacas
Alpacas live closer to heaven than any other living
creature. At midnight in the Andean Altiplano; you can see forever
as the shimmering alpacas leap from the icy mountain tops to the
diamond set sky of the Sierra. They will reappear at dawn. Alpacas
are magical.
On many a morning we have stood on our front porch
and watched the alpacas melt in and out of the mist as the sun
rose, kissed their soft cheeks, and warmed their cria. The alpacas'
magic image becomes alert as you walk toward them and they engage
you with their long, honest gaze.
Alpacas are one of Mother Nature's favorite creatures
and she has blessed them mightily. Alpacas are always respectful
of the environment, never disturbing the earth with their padded
feet, eating the tops off the grass and leaving a little for those
that follow. As spring turns to summer, ever generous, they offer
their warm fleece to be made into soft clothing for their masters'
comfort.
Mankind is not always gentle, sometimes wreaking
havoc on the natural order. But for five thousand years, man has
loved the alpaca. Mother Nature has been quick to punish those
who don't protect and nurture the alpacas. Consider this ancient
Indian myth about the origin of the alpacas.
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According to the Aymara and Quechua speaking peoples of
Bolivia and Peru, the earth was long ago made up of two,
superimposed worlds, the upper and the lower. The lower
world was populated with enormous flocks of plump, sleek
alpacas that belonged to the Apu, or mountain god, and they
were tended by his beloved daughter. The alpacas of the
upper world were far fewer in number and were inferior in
quality, with only short, hairy fleeces.
The Apu's daughter often had difficulty in protecting her
alpacas from the region's numerous predators, so he arranged
for her to marry a young herdsman from the upper world who
could help tend the flocks. The Apu's daughter and her husband
lived contentedly in the lower world. After awhile, the
young shepherd grew homesick and told his wife that he wished
to return to his own world, and to enrich it with the inner
world's alpacas. The mountain god's daughter agreed and,
collecting her flock, began traveling via the springs and
lakes to live with her husband in the upper world. Her father's
one condition to his daughter's marriage had been that her
husband must take good are of the flock, and especially
a tiny alpaca that always needed to be carried. The daughter's
husband proved to be lazy and one day he dropped the tiny
alpaca on the ground, leaving it to fend for itself. When
his wife saw this she took flight and ran to the nearest
spring, dove in and began swimming towards the inner world.
The alpacas followed her, although a few were prevented
from leaving by the herdsman. Ever since, the alpacas of
the upper world have remained near springs and lakes where
they continue to yearn for their mistress - who, to this
day, has not returned. (Gold of the Andes, Volume II)
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So why do we own alpacas? The truth is we have never asked our
alpacas for anything they wouldn't provide. They are gentle with
our children. Each year they pay our family's bills. The alpacas
slow us down and point the way to simple things that make us smile.
They live with us in obedient harmony. Once in a while we are
asked by one of our females to help her give birth and maybe nurse
the cria for a few days until Mother Nature brings them both together,
starting life's cycle over again. We really can't imagine a better
way to spend our time here on earth.
If you don't own an alpaca, ask the question, "Why?"
of someone who does. Each answer will be genuine and probably
a little different. When you bring your first alpacas home you'll
have your own reasons for caring for them which will add to the
magic that alpacas create.
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