The llama is the domestic animal form of the guanaco. Like the alpaca, it is one of the smallest camels. Lamas are mainly kept as carrying and meat animals. They are large and strong, an adult stallions can only bear loads with a maximum of 50 kilograms, which they carry safely and steadily over the most difficult screes and mule tracks in daily marches of barely more than 25 kilometers.
Stallions are intentionally not sheared because the thick back fur serves as a natural blanket for loading the carrying bales.
Llama mares are not used to carry loads, therefore they are regularly sheared. The lama wool has a meaning for the Indian Andean population, but is not worth as much as the extremely fine wool of alpaca.
A friendly contact is very important with these animals, because otherwise they can becom stubborn and unruly.
