Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 90
interview
Island Life - August/September 2010
Alpacas the new
family pet?
When it comes to unusual animals
Roberts’s imagination, and after a
Robert and Rosemary Gordon,
around us, we tend to think
started ‘Moorfield Alpacas’ fourteen
trip to Arunvale Alpacas, we were
that they are new to our shores!
years ago, as a ‘retirement’ hobby.
won over by their uniqueness and
Alpacas, although not as common
A few years before this, they had
gentle nature.
as our regular farm livestock are
moved to their home and small
one such animal! But, rather than
farm in Brighstone, bringing with
countries of Peru, Chile and Bolivia
being a novelty, they were in fact
them their charolais beef herd. In
in South America, and it is there
being farmed in our country as
winter it was soon apparent that
that the majority of their population
long ago as the Victorian era!
the ground wasn’t suitable for
still live, usually high up on the
Queen Victoria famously sported
cattle, and having previously kept
alti-plato, 4000 meters and above.
dresses made from alpaca wool and
horses, ponies and sheep, were open
They are related to the Camelid
Victorian Gentlemen were proud of
minded about where to go next!
family (camels) and are cousins of
their alpaca overcoats and smoking
In fact, it was while watching
the llama. In their native Andes,
jackets…
90
‘Countryways’ on TV, that caught
Alpacas originate from the Andean
they have been domesticated for
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