Welcome To Shangri Llama

The WISE Kids took a field trip this week!  Now usually the familiar stompin' ground of Interstate Park is a field trip in itself, but the opportunity came up to do something a little different today.  Naturalist Nancy Frank, who led the WISE hike to Eagle Peak a few weeks back, invited the group to come visit her at her farm about an hour drive from the park.  Nancy not only has the regular sorts of animals you might see on a farm like chickens, sheep, cows and friendly dogs; she also keeps several llamas and a single alpaca! Llamas and alpacas are park of the camelid family (related to camels). I did not know that!  Did you?


This is Countach.  A very friendly, very personable guy.  The WISE kids met him first, along with his  doppelganger whose name escapes me.  Let's call him Carl.

As we made our way across the farm, we soon met the female llamas.  This is Annie.  Annie was beyond what you might call a social butterfly and mingled with the crowd giving out llama kisses and willingly accepting offerings of grain.

Charlie gets a kiss.

 Me and Annie.

 William feeding Annie.

Llamas are cute.  No argument there.  But baby llamas are even cuter!  This is Lexus with her six week old baby Sebring.

Another mama llama and her baby.

Towards the end of our tour of the farm we met the lone alpaca, Stanley.  Alpacas are like cousins to llamas.  They are typically smaller than llamas and perhaps a little less willing to be touched or pet.  Naturalist Nancy said although Stanley is very sweet, he is a little more anxious around crowds.  He did just fine with our group of children though.

Nancy and Stanley.

 

It was a gorgeous day to be out in the country, and everyone enjoyed feeding and visiting with the llamas.  I was surprised at how calm and friendly they were as we walked in their pastures with them.  At the end of our time at the farm everyone was reluctant to leave, but the WISE kids and Nancy had some surprises up their sleeves for  Nature Story Time at the park the following day.  Our adventures with the llamas were not quite over yet!  Stay tuned!