Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Is Your Mama A Llama??? No! She's An Alpaca!

As I mentioned before, I absolutely LOVE taking my children on field trips- especially ones that are related to something we happen to be studying. Well, this year we have hopped on the Galloping the Globe train and our first stop is Peru. We learned that Alpacas are native to Peru and so after some research, I was able to find an alpaca farm not too far away that would give us a tour! It was such an interesting trip. The kids were able to feed and pet the alpacas. Alpacas are quite friendly and love to be with people. There were only a few "nervous" ones and they kept their distance from us. We found out alpacas normally live about 25 years and their fur is used for all sorts of products such as blankets, socks, hats, and more. The farm we went to shaves the alpacas in April each year and sells the fur.  Alpaca fiber is extremely soft and was once used only by the wealthy. Alpacas are not common in the United States and so there is a demand for their fur. Alpcas are extremely expensive so I don't believe we will be purchasing one for a pet anytime soon, but if it were up to my oldest daughter, she would have brought one home today!






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