ALPACA STORY
CRUELTY-FREE: AN ALPACA'S LIFE
Completely free from fences and boundaries, alpacas roam freely outdoors. Their natural habitat is found in altitudes of 5000 meters in the Andes of Peru. In the early start of the morning their farmers hike them to areas that no car can reach. The alpacas graze freely taking in the bright sunlight and high winds. Once the sun starts dropping, they are brought back to the farmer’s land where they also wander freely.
Many would think an alpaca’s life ends when they are not able to regrow quality wool. However, Peruvians respect the life of the animal and when an alpaca dies of natural circumstances they are used for meat.
ALPACA CARE
Just like a human visiting their doctor, alpacas are checked by an alpaca nutritionist and vet. A happy, stress-free animal produces the highest quality wool.
SHEARING TECHNIQUES
Using ancient Peruvian methods, alpaca farmers catch the animal and use scissors to gently cut their wool.
Considering the high-end shavers found in the market, the Peruvian farmers stick to their ancient Incan traditions. Using appropriate scissors, they carefully cut the wool of the animal without causing any harm. Unlike a wool razor, there is no loud buzzing to scare the alpaca and they are never sheared until naked. Many would think shearing would be harmful to the Alpaca, but it is a necessity for their survival. Shearing occurs only once or twice a year and alpacas are not sheared more than 2 to 3 times their lifetime. Mulesing does not exist in the life of an alpaca or any other animal in Peru.
ECOLOGICAL ALPACA
WHY IS ALPACA AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ANIMAL?
✔ Friendly to the earth
• Alpaca footprint is light against the ground.
• While eating, alpaca’s teeth cut grass helping new grass to regrow.
• They consume smaller amounts of food compared to sheep and goats.
✔ Lanolin-Free
Alpaca fibers are Lanolin-Free. Lanolin (itchy wax) is found in most sheep’s wool including merino. It takes toxic substances to remove this wax off wool including gallons of boiling water.
✔ Sustainable farming
Farming alpacas does not require harsh chemicals. Farm factoring does exist in Peru making carbon footprint small compared to other farms.