Alpaca resembles Llama and is often termed as a small ‘llama’ because of the resemblance. They are mostly found in the South American countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador. The animals are bred specifically for the ‘wool-like’ fibre, alpaca fibre. There are many benefits of this fibre over wool as it is warmer and hypoallergenic (causing fewer allergic reactions). The name is derived from the Quechua p’ake meaning ‘yellowish-red’ and the influence of Arabic on Spanish words resulted in the prefix ‘al’.
Image – Patrick Furlong
