The Story of Llamas and Alpacas
The story of South America's most important domesticated livestock: the llama and alpaca.
They’re famous for their long necks, woolly coats, and impressive spitting range, but how much do you really know about llamas and alpacas? These hardy pack animals of the Andes have lived alongside humans for around 6,000 years. Before the introduction of horses and cattle, they were the largest domesticated animals of the Americas. Their sturdy backs and agile feet helped build some of the most impressive empires in world history. And even today, they boast a global following of farmers, fans, and indigenous people, who still rely on them for their traditional uses.
What makes the llama and alpaca so special? And why did people tame them when so few American animals made the cut? Read on to find out more.
The American Camelids
When you think about farm animals, you probably picture creatures like cows, sheep, horses, chickens, and pigs. All of these species are descended from Afro-Eurasian wildlife. For example, the horse was first tamed on the Eurasian steppes. Cows come from the now-extinct but mighty aurochs. Chickens were likely domesticated from jungle fowl in India or China. Sheep hail from Mesopotamia, while wild pigs appear to have been tamed all across Afro-Eurasia.
Meanwhile, the ancient Americas possessed none of these critical species. Their original human inhabitants migrated across land bridges from Eurasia as much as 30,000 years ago. Later waves of migrants brought domesticated dogs with them about 10,000 years ago. The North American branch of the horse family went extinct during this period. What wild sheep or pigs did exist on the continents were poorly suited for domestication. By the time other animals were tamed in Afro-Eurasia, the land bridges had been swallowed by the sea. For thousands of years, the two major landmasses of the world would have little to no contact with each other.
Though the Americas lacked most livestock, they were home to another useful animal family: camelids. Camels, of course, are essential beasts of burden in regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. Early American camelids gradually migrated from North to South America. There, they adapted to chilly, mountainous deserts. They grew smaller and woolier, living together in large herds. Today, the two surviving wild American camelids are the guanaco and the vicuña. Both species are native to the Andes Mountains, found mainly in Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.
Domesticating the Guanaco and Vicuña
Guanacos and vicuñas have both been long valued by Andean peoples. The larger guanaco was prized for its meat, fine wool, and thick hide. The smaller vicuña, living at higher altitudes, possesses even softer fur, some of the finest in the world. During the time of the Incan Empire, vicuñas were a protected animal. They were not hunted, and common people didn’t wear their fur as clothing. Instead, vast herds were rounded up each year, and their scarce wool sent to clothe Incan royalty.
But alongside these wild herds, people saw the value of keeping these animals closer to home. In the wild, both species prefer high altitudes and rough terrain, while humans tend to avoid them. And so, guanacos and vicuñas both appear to have been domesticated around 6,000 years ago. The guanaco transformed into the large, hardy llama, while the vicuña became the more petite alpaca. These domesticated cousins moved to lower altitudes, living alongside human beings for the thousands of years that followed. Over generations, it’s likely that the two animals interbred, as they are still capable of doing today.
Uses of the Llama and Alpaca
So what did llamas and alpacas offer their owners? There are many answers. Alpacas, for instance, filled a similar niche in the Andes as sheep. Smaller than llamas, alpacas are not suitable to work as pack animals. Instead, they provide fine wool similar to that of the vicuña. Llamas, meanwhile, are sturdy enough to carry as much as 100 pounds. This is a far cry from the weights carried by oxen or horses, but their nimble feet made them invaluable to the people of the Andes. They allowed the Incan Empire to build a complex society connected by mountainous roads, humming with news and commerce.
In addition, llamas also give wool, though of less quality than alpaca. Both species were also raised for their meat, and their dung was used as an important source of fuel and fertilizer by Andean civilizations.
Because they filled so many roles, it’s not surprising that llamas and alpacas also played an important part in the beliefs, myths, and worship of Andean cultures. Llamas are associated with flood myths, rain summoning, creation stories, and religious offerings across the region, both in the ancient past and the modern day.
The Modern, Global Llama and Alpaca
Today, both llamas and alpacas are a global phenomenon. Recognized for their docile nature, valuable coats, and hardy constitutions, they have spread from the Andes around the world. You can find them in petting zoos, family farms, and on all kinds of cute merchandise. They even entered the medical spotlight as a promising agent in the race to halt Covid-19.
This marks a remarkable turnaround. After the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s, native livestock faced the same population decline as their human owners. Competition from European livestock and suspicion on the part of European colonizers both threatened the llama and alpaca. Their cousins, vicuñas, were nearly hunted to extinction before recovering in the late 20th century.
Today, however, there are llama and alpaca farms as far afield as Australia and Hawaii. An industry boom in the early 2000s encouraged many aspiring ranchers to choose them over more conventional sheep, poultry, or cattle. And, of course, they remain an essential part of life for thousands of modern Andean people, who continue to rely on them for their meat and wool. With so many fans in so many places, it seems these Andean camelids will continue to live alongside human beings for thousands of years to come!
References
Capriles, José, and Nicholas Tripcevich. The Archaeology of Andean Pastoralism. Illustrated, University of New Mexico Press, 2016.
“Frequently Asked Questions.” Swan Mountain Llama Trekking, www.llamatreksmontana.com/frequently-asked-questions.
Steele, Paul Richard. Handbook of Inca Mythology (World Mythology). Illustrated, ABC-CLIO, 2004.
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