Peru: Alpacas

Alpacas (height = 99 cm or less) are camelids (camel-like animals). In the Andes, farmers raise these animals for their wonderfully soft wool. This wool is different from sheep's wool, because it doesn't have so much oil (lanolin).

Alpaca, CC--BY-SA Galo Manuel _MG_1991--CROPPED.jpg

Alpacas are much smaller than dromedaries (dromedary camels can reach up to 199 cm). Below, a woman is milking a camel. Notice how the dromedary is much taller than the woman.

Camel_milking_in_Niger, CC--BY-SA ACEI Cheung (4Cheungs)

We usually think that camels and similar animals come from deserts in places like Saudi Arabia, but their ancestors actually came from North America.

Distribution of camelids before modern introductions to Australia and elsewhere. Solid black lines indicate possible migration routes, CC-BY-SA Lukasz Lukomski

Half of the ancient camelids went North (through today's Alaska) and then into Asia and North Africa. There, they became Bactrian camels [with TWO humps] and dromedaries [with ONE hump]. The other half went from North America to South America, where they slowly changed and became alpacas and other animals, such as llamas.


Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca: "Clouds on Earth" from Sandra Jordan Prima Alpaca on Vimeo.

The next video shows you what people can make from alpaca wool:




Made in Peru: Alpaca Capes & Ponchos from Alternative on Vimeo.