ALPACA CLAN ACRES USA

Alpacas in South America

Alpacas and the Inca Empire

The alpaca was an important aspect of the everyday life of the ancient civilizations in the region, which compromises, of southeast Peru, eastern Bolivia and northern Argentina and Chile. Archeologists estimate from excavations, that the alpacas have been around from 4000-5000 B.C. The alpaca was selectively bred from the vicuna, to accentuate its naturally finer wool. The harvest of this fine wool served as the base for a significant domestic textile market. The role that alpacas and llamas played in the Incan culture and economy naturally elevated them to a highly regarded status. Husbandry and management practices were very sophisticated for that period of history. The domestication of the alpaca reached its highest point during the Inca Empire (1438-1532). The Inca herders were in charge of the breeding and exploitation of llamas, alpacas, and vicunas. The vicunas and the alpacas provided fiber for clothing that was a sign of social status. High-ranking officials and nobility used an alpaca cloth. When the Spaniards arrived in 1532, they found a well-organized society. The alpaca that had been a central part of the Inca social and religious practices was almost exterminated to make room for European domestic animals (horses, cows, and sheep). However, the highland inhabitants, knowing the importance of the alpaca, managed to move higher into the mountains to keep their herds, ultimately saving them, not before a great number of the animals were lost. With the Spanish conquest of the Incas came the almost total annihilation of the alpaca. This wonderful animal survived only because of its importance to the Indian people and its incredible ability to live at altitudes and under conditions, which cannot sustain the life of other domestic animals.

Alpacas Regain their Prominence

Rediscovery of the alpaca's fine wool by the international textile market in the late 1800's led to a higher level of interest in the alpaca, in turn regaining its prominence. In recent times, Peruvians have sought to protect the alpaca industry. In 1827, Simon Bolivar (the South American Liberator) signed a decree to protect all came lids, which include alpaca, llama, guanaco and vicuna. Since then, alpacas have been treated as a unique and essential resource. From the estimated 40-50 million alpacas in the pre-colonial times, in 1980 there were 2.5 million alpacas in Peru, and the numbers have not significantly increased since. Therefore, the alpaca remains a rare animal today. In modern times, alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of Ecuador, southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile at an altitude of 3500 to 5000 meters above sea level, throughout the year. The alpaca has slowly been introduced to the rest of the world, but Peru still has 70-80% of the population, Bolivia approximately 20%, and Chile 2%. The first alpacas imported to the United States arrived in 1983 from Bolivia and Chile. It was illegal to export alpacas from Peru until 1991. Peru was the last South American country to open its borders to exportation and only 3,000 alpacas have actually left Peruvian soil. In 1996, Peru's borders were closed again. These animals are now being raised in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, as well as others in Europe, and account for only 0.1% of the entire alpaca population in the world. Today, there is worldwide commerce in the alpaca and its products. The North American alpacas are still limited in numbers, but, because of the dedication and care of the American breeders, numbers in the USA are slowly increasing, and the quality of the stock and fiber is improving due to careful selective breeding.