Alpacas are gentle, charming, lovable and valuable members of the camelid family.  Camelids include camels, llamas, alpacas, vicumas, and guanacos, all of which are ruminants, much like cows and deer.

These animals have a multi-chambered stomach and chew cud in order to digest their food.  This very efficient way of converting grass and hay into energy means alpacas eat less than other animals.

Originally alpacas were found only in the Andean mountain areas of Peru and Bolivia.  The climate of the High Plains there was very harsh, with summer temperatures not exceeding 60F and winter temperatures dipping well below zero. 

Currently native to Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, the alpaca's numbers are still relatively small, with just over 3 million animals on the continent.  But over 5,000 years ago, in the young Incan empire of South America, llamas and alpacas were plentiful and domesticated.  Llamas were used as pack animals to haul supplies.  However, alpacas were revered and treasured for their fine fleece.

These beautiful animals were one of the key foundations to Inca commerce.  They provided food, clothing, fuel, and transportation to the Incas who were accustomed to a very harsh and hostile existence.  In the Incan society, garments made from alpaca fiber were reserved only for royalty.  Alpacas were considered a valuable possession and were used as money in the Incan civilization.

The first alpacas were imported into the United States in 1984.  Today, there are over 50,000 alpacas in all of North America.