I have always been fond of alpacas ever since I first saw those funny expressions. Alpaca fibers are considered to be one of the softest and warmest natural fibers available.
Alpacas are like a smaller version of a llama and related to the camel. Alpacas and llamas roam together and can interbred, but they eventually separate into their own groups.
Vicunas are the alpacas native to the Andes mountain. They are highly protected and can not be exported anywhere. They also have the finest fur of them all.
I first learned about Vicunas while watching Nature on PBS, the program was titled “Andes: The Dragon’s Back.” A great program to watch if you get the chance. There are so many other interesting wildlife that live in this part of South America.
Introduction from PBS Nature:
Only a mountain range of extremes could harbor such a rich and diverse variety of life forms. Here you will find some of the highest, saltiest, wettest and driest terrains on the planet. Penguins, opossums, hummingbirds, llamas, pumas, foxes, condors, spectacle bears and many more have all managed to carve out an existence somewhere in one of the many worlds that we call the Andes.
