Ten holiday program children from Bockhorn went on a long hike with alpacas and llamas. We explain here how to deal with the animals and what the difference is actually between the two types of camels.
Bockhorn - Not only little girls like their big, dark, googly eyes and their cozy fur: llamas and alpacas, actually at home in South America, are making more and more friends. Walking with them, watching them feed peacefully, has a calming effect. And so, as part of the Bockhorn holiday program, seven girls and three boys between the ages of ten and 13 made their way to the Pointnerhof near Hohenlinden (Ebersberg district). There you have the opportunity to get to know the exotic animals on a longer walk.
“These animals are really very special. Because, unlike our four-legged friends at home, they neither want to be touched nor stroked, nor do they touch each other ”: A first shock in the eyes of the children who sit in front of a barn in a semicircle around Daniela Schürger and eagerly listen to her introductory words. She is an occupational therapist and has been dealing with the 24 alpacas and eight llamas on the farm for a long time.
Nobody in the group knew that the fluffy ruminants were not licked off by their mothers after birth, like other mammals. They do not know body contact and “only tolerate being caressed for a short time”, as the excursion leader emphasizes. She finds a catchy comparison: "For her, that's about the same as if you had to clean up your room for a long time."
Schürger interprets the fact that they might spit, as some children fear, quite differently: “Because of their very short tongue, they hardly make any sounds. Spitting is therefore body language for them, their mutual communication. "
Before we finally go to the barn to get the animals for the hike through the woods and fields, the expert gives a few tips on leading. “The animals should actually run and not eat alongside, which they are happy to try. You need to hold the rope attached to the head harness loosely with both hands. If you stay calm, so will the animals. They are really easy to manage, they never want to be the boss. ”The now somewhat excited crowd of children is all the more urged to receive“ their ”respective llama or alpaca. A quick souvenir photo of the accompanying mothers and off we go.
The difference between llamas and alpacas
Both alpacas and llamas belong to the group of camels. However, neither llamas nor alpacas have humps. “Are these llamas or alpacas now?” You ask yourself this question again and again when you see the animals. One of the main characteristics for differentiation is size. While the llamas can reach a shoulder height of 120 centimeters, alpacas usually only reach 90 centimeters. Accordingly, the latter are much more delicate and weigh around 60 kilograms, while llamas weigh up to 140 kilograms. Overall, llamas appear coarser and more angular than the more delicate alpacas, whose fur is usually more even and finely structured. That is why alpacas are bred especially for wool production. While the ears of the alpacas are straight up, llamas have a slightly curved shape, comparable to bananas. In any case, both animal species express their feelings with their ears. If they are laid flat backwards, it shows that something is bothering them or something is not very comfortable for them. If the ears are stretched forward, this indicates curiosity.
The children try to walk a little tense at first, next to the animals, have chosen either Flippo or Django as companions, the two lamas Quallas and Taliska are also very popular. In the crowd of animals they are easy to spot due to their size and their ears, which are shaped like bananas (see also box), they seem bored and look a little higher over the colorful entourage.
Martin Haindl, local councilor in Bockhorn and co-organizer, is delighted: “Not only is the weather right today, the children also have a lot of fun with the animals. We have wanted to go on such a tour for a long time, I have known the farm owner Leonhard Pointner for a long time. "
Finally the group has reached a clearing overgrown with grass at the edge of the forest - a break for animals and people is announced. This is what the llamas and alpacas in particular have been waiting for, who now, like cows, pounce on the lush greenery and grind it with their strong chewing plates. Now the guide also has some time to talk about the animals and how they are kept. “We have lost our hearts to these exotic species since 2009 and are now breeding them ourselves. They are kept in the stable and in a paddock and are very temperature-resistant due to their very thick fur. And we also use their fur, from which we produce particularly soft wool, for example, ”says Schürger.
In the meantime, the children's shyness has also given way. Valentin (12) says, for example, that he had already seen alpacas in Austria, "but was not allowed to lead any at that time". Ten-year-old Amelie only knew her from the zoo so far, and Maja (11) is absolutely certain that her alpaca chinos look “particularly cool”.
You have to hold the rope attached to the head harness of the animals loosely with both hands. The twelve-year-old Valentin does it exactly right. He practices with a llama in front of the stable before the hike begins.
© Dziemballa
It goes slowly back to the Pointnerhof, past fields and meadows, there is a peaceful atmosphere. So it is not surprising that Schürger goes into raptures. “This gentleness of the animals brings even stressed contemporaries to rest very quickly. And so we sometimes go for a forest swim with them. In doing so, they not only get to know the animals and their almost stoic disposition. We also teach them techniques for relaxation, for a very personal discovery of slowness. ”For the children's group, however, the fun predominated on this morning, some of them want to come back.
Both alpacas and llamas belong to the group of camels. However, neither llamas nor alpacas have humps. “Are these llamas or alpacas now?” You ask yourself this question again and again when you see the animals. One of the main characteristics for differentiation is size. While the llamas can reach a shoulder height of 120 centimeters, alpacas usually only reach 90 centimeters. Accordingly, the latter are much more delicate and weigh around 60 kilograms, while llamas weigh up to 140 kilograms. Overall, llamas appear coarser and more angular than the more delicate alpacas, whose fur is usually more even and finely structured. That is why alpacas are bred especially for wool production. While the ears of the alpacas are straight up, llamas have a slightly curved shape, comparable to bananas. In any case, both animal species express their feelings with their ears. If they are laid flat backwards, it shows that something is bothering them or something is not very comfortable for them. If the ears are stretched forward, this indicates curiosity.
Friedbert Holz, Markus Schwarzkugler
