About the Alpaca
An alpaca is a very environmentally friendly animal, as it does not pull the grass it eats out by the roots, but rather cuts it, allowing the grass to regrow more quickly. It also does not have hooves, but small pads on its feet, so it does not crush the grass beneath it. It also does not require much care. The resources needed for the care of the animal are therefore very low.
Withers height
total fibre yield
3 to 6 kg per animal/year
usable: 1 to 3 kg
Food
body weight
Mare: approx. 55 kg
Stallion: approx. 60 to 80 kg
Life expectancy
Population Peru
Population Germany
Population Austria
Population Switzerland
History & Origin
Alpacas are noble and generous animals, legendary and sensitive. In Peru, they are also a national symbol dating back to 5000 BC. The domestication of alpacas and llamas began around 3000 BC.
While the llama primarily served as a pack animal for South American civilizations, the alpaca was bred for its wool. Among the Incas, an alpaca coat was considered a sign of wealth.
However, the large alpaca herds of that time became smaller with the conquest of Peru by the Spaniards, as the Europeans brought sheep and showed no interest in the native animals. Thus, the alpaca gradually became a livestock animal for the poor indigenous population, until it was nearly extinct at one point.
Only with the independence of the South American countries was the value of the alpaca recognized again. Breeding was resumed, and the wool was exported all over the world.
The animals secure the income for thousands of families in the Andes, as they produce valuable fibers in more than twenty different natural shades (up to 60 color variations). The spectrum ranges from pure white to black, including various shades of brown and gray.
In addition to the color diversity, the high product quality of the fiber is due to a long acclimatization process of the animals in the Andes. To withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, alpacas developed a fine, lightweight fleece that is water-repellent and sun-resistant. No other natural and noble fiber has such a combination of quality.
Today, there are about 3.5 million alpacas in Peru alone, primarily in southern Peru, western Bolivia, and Chile. However, alpacas can increasingly be admired in Europe's pastures as well. These exotic animals, kept partly as a hobby and partly for breeding, always attract curious glances.
Currently, 80% of the global population of this camelid lives in the Andes of Peru. Each of these alpacas represents the work and progress of thousands of Peruvians who live far from the modern world. For them, alpaca breeding means preserving a remnant of ancient history. For us, it means keeping the story alive and making it our reason for existence every day.
Alpacas are friendly and gentle beings. They are curious and affectionate. Alpacas communicate with each other using bright humming sounds. Their large, black eyes, their nature, and their graceful humming make them incredibly lovable.
Alpacas mainly live in the high mountains of the Peruvian Andes today. They are herbivores and primarily feed on grasses. Like all camels, alpacas are social animals and feel most comfortable in groups.
An alpaca also has a different temperament than a llama. It only spits when it is really angry or annoyed. It is a very calm and relaxed animal. It is less arrogant, shyer, and more intelligent.
Llamas are mainly used as pack animals, while alpacas are primarily kept for their wool. Alpacas make no noise and move very gracefully, which makes handling them very pleasant.
Alpacas belong to the family of New World camelids, their cousin is the llama, but contrary to many common beliefs, they are very different. An alpaca is smaller and thinner than a llama, it has pointier ears and is softer. It is also hairier on the forehead and has a shorter neck than a llama.
They vary in height from 80 to 90 cm. Their heads are small and round, with tiny ears, large eyes, and a sweet expression. The back is slightly curved and the tail hangs close to the hindquarters.
They have a gently rounded profile with a broad body that is more noticeable from behind, and short legs. The live weight ranges from 75 to 85 kg.
- Alpacas belong to the family of even-toed ungulates. Within the genus, there are also two wild species, the guanacos and the vicuñas.
- As a domesticated camelid, alpacas also inhabit other regions, such as grasslands, steppes, or semi-deserts.
- The cold high altitudes do not bother alpacas, as they have dense fur with pronounced and fine undercoat.
- Depending on the appearance of the fleece, two types are distinguished: the Huacaya alpacas and the much rarer Suri alpacas.
- The wool of these animals is among the most sought-after and precious fabrics in the world, alongside silk and cashmere, and is referred to in South America as the fleece of the gods.
- Alpacas can easily climb steep mountain slopes, as they have thick and soft pads under their hooves, known as pad-footed, which provide them with grip.
- They have very few dietary requirements; in the warm summer months, they eat only fresh grass, and in winter, hay.
- Alpacas are also very easy to care for. They are very social animals that enjoy living in large groups and should also be kept in large groups.
- After a gestation period of over eleven months, the female gives birth to a single cria that can already walk a few hours after birth. The mother is ready to mate again just a few weeks later.
- Alpacas are extremely peaceful, good-natured, and friendly animals that are used in therapy in many countries in Europe.
- Alpacas are also used in the therapy of people with addictions and disabilities. A great example is the Foundation of Maria Ebene.
- These very robust animals are perfectly adapted to the extreme temperature differences of their homeland.
An animal with many names
The name of the animal in Quechua is allpaka, paqo or paqocha – forms that also occur in the other living language, Aymara. Paqo is also used for a specific color of the alpaca, a dark brown color with a reddish hue, which is considered the original color of all alpacas and even other camelids.
New World Camelids
Types in Comparison
Shearing alpacas is deeply rooted in Peruvian culture, for the well-being of this peaceful and valued animal. Alpacas are generally docile animals that can be sheared easily (with some experience). They need to be sheared regularly.
While llamas shed their fleece naturally, alpacas retain theirs until it is sheared. If they are not sheared regularly, the fleece would mat, become too long, and pathogens and parasites would infest the animals, ultimately leading to their demise.
The vicuña (also vikunja) is the most graceful and rarest of the four South American camelids. With a fiber fineness of 11 to 12 microns, it has the finest animal fiber in the world; cashmere, at 15 to 17 microns, is comparatively coarse. During the time of the Incas, clothing made from vicuña fibers was reserved for the nobility.
The most beautiful of the South American camels, this wonderful animal served the ancient weavers of the Andes as the most valuable raw material from which they created magnificent clothing for the Inca kings. However, in the 1960s, the Vicuña was on the brink of extinction. Thanks to a CITES rescue program, Peru alone now counts around 160,000 animals that live in the wilderness of the high Andes at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
The delicate vicuñas are carefully sheared in a respectful, traditional ceremony. Afterwards, they are released back into the wild.
In contrast to its robust shape and rugged beauty, the guanaco produces a very fine fiber of delicate cinnamon-like color. A warm and silky raw material, which, like the vicuña, is obtained through the traditional shearing method Chaccu and is thus linked to the development of the Andean people.
Guanacos are the second largest of the South American camelids. Unfortunately, today guanacos are endangered and are on the watch list of conservation organizations. In recent centuries, guanacos have been hunted for their beautiful fur. Today, there are about 500,000 individuals of this species left. This corresponds to about one percent of the original population. However, there is still no international protection for this endangered animal.
Products made from guanaco fibers can only be purchased with a CITES certificate (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). This certificate guarantees that the animals are released back into the wild after they have been sheared.
The llama is the largest of the New World camelids and has its natural habitat mainly in the Andes of Peru and Bolivia.
During the era of the Incas, these animals played an extremely important role in the lives of the Andean peoples. Llamas were the most important means of transport in the Andes, and their meat was highly valued everywhere.
In the textile industry, llama wool is used less frequently than alpaca wool. The processed fibers are then used for high-quality pile fabrics, such as for coats and lightweight blankets.
This species of camel, native to the Peruvian Andes, has the fiber with the greatest natural color diversity found in the world of weaving.
The natural colors range from white to brown and gray to black. Alpacas can be divided into 2 subspecies: Suri & Huacaya. It is also worth mentioning the Black Alpaca.
Peru is the country with the highest number of black alpacas. However, the number of pure black alpacas in Peru has decreased in recent years to less than 0.07% of the total population of these animals in the country. This corresponds to about 5000 animals. Black alpacas are currently endangered.
The most common is the Huacaya. It makes up about 90% of the total alpaca population. Its straight, dense, crimped hair distinguishes it from the Suri alpaca with its silky and wavy fleece.
Since almost any knitted or felted product can be made from Huacaya fiber, the Huacaya is a true all-rounder and very popular among breeders.
- about 90% of the total population
- larger & wider
- feels soft, woolly, and crimped
- fiber grows straight and dense on the body
- "all-rounder" among camelids
- can be used for almost any knitted/felted product
- very popular among breeders
The Suri breed, which has emerged from millennia of domestication by highland herders, makes up only 6% of the total population of alpacas.
The Suri is slightly smaller and slimmer than the Huacaya. The smooth fiber of Suri alpacas grows parallel to the body and hangs in long, individual locks. Its elegant style, the noble sheen of the fiber, and the graceful appearance of the Suri contrast with the softer, woolly-looking Huacaya alpacas. The Suri fiber is particularly suitable for making coats.
Baby Suri alpaca is the pinnacle of the selection of alpaca fibers, as only 0.5% of all processed alpaca fibers correspond to this noble input.
- approx. 6% of the total population
- smaller & slimmer
- fiber grows parallel to the body
- hangs in long, individual locks
- elegant style, noble sheen of the fiber
- graceful appearance
- particularly suitable for making coats