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Remembering Luke

9/8/2019

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Luke came to us from Isleta animal control in June of 2015 and we cared for him for the summer. We sheared him by hand gradually and found abut 30 devil claw stickers in his fiber. After getting him cleaned up he gradually learned that he could lay down and roll pain free. We also trimmed his nails easily - he was the most compliant llama I had ever met.

Concerned that he had not been with any llamas for unknown period of time and he did not really understand what was edible for him, he then moved to the East Mountain area to live with other male llamas that he could learn from as he did not have any experience being a llama with other llamas. He remained in-tact and lived with two other males.

He came back to us in early 2018 and quickly became one of our packing llamas. Luke was very sweet and gentle and made many friends over the years. He also became the best buddy to our little Orphina who was a rescue llama less than a year old and had become separated from her mother. Luke and Orphina were often found grazing together and even sleeping in the same shed.

Luke died from congestive heart failure in late August 2019 -- the vet estimated him to be abut 22 years old. 
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Remembering Daisy

2/16/2019

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Daisy came to us with Dalai (they were young herd mates) and was about a year old in February 2009. She had the biggest heart and most skill at climbing mountains.  Her large sized feet may be another reason she was one of our best trekkers.  Daisy was very smart and knew how to strip the elm leaves from the branches without eating the twig. She could also find the weak spots in a fence and sneak through to go on adventures. Daisy was not afraid to explore and was often the first to try a new area.

Daisy died on January 21, 2019 after struggling with pneumonia. We tried two types of antibiotics for about a month. There was a few days when she was going in circles due to the infection perhaps spreading to her ear. She would only walk to the left and had poor balance. She looked like she was getting better two weeks into her treatment when her appetite returned and her balance returned - walking straight and loving her nibbles. But all the sudden one day she lost her appetite again and was gone the next day. 

Daisy sometimes looks a little put out because her ears are often down or out to the side. But Daisy has a servant’s heart that wouldn't quit and never complained on the trail no matter how difficult.  She loved to nibble at the foliage on the trail and looked forward to feeding time. Daisy was also rescued from the same abandoned farm as Dalai. They were together in a tiny corral that was never cleaned out when we rescued them.  

We will miss Daisy very much and are sorry to see her go.

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Fairplay, Colorado Part II - Saving the Rest

2/16/2019

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After the recovery of 26 of the 34 llamas outside of Fairplay, Colorado, and a little recuperation from the long haul, I got a call from Kent Greentree who said he would like to recover the last of the llamas that had evaded us. I had already been thinking about the pure black female llama who I had danced with during the first rescue attempt and watched as she powerfully took control of her freedom when she charged past me in that last rescue attempt. She may make a wonderful pack llama with some kind treatment and trust work. Also we heard from a family member of the rescue site that she just had a new cria (baby llama) only a couple of days old now – and I would love to have a mother and cria pair!

​Kent’s enthusiasm and the outreach he had done to get another volunteer was enough for me to agree to assist in this second adventure of llama rescuing. And so much was invested in learning the “lay of the land” in the first rescue that I felt this next effort should go more smoothly. 
​Kent suggested I should keep the black mother and her cria and he had his eye on another mother/cria pair that were still on the mountain. We also knew there was an orphan cria a few months old who was left behind because she became separated from her mother in the last rescue and she would need to be cared for to survive. Another concern is since we knew there was a young bachelor herd of three males still there, in a short time, there would be a large herd of llamas roaming the area unprotected, starving in the winter, trespassing on public and private properties, and at risk of being shot, poisoned, or struck by vehicles. The rest of herd needed to be rescued.
The question was, could we manage everything that needed to be done? Would we have enough support and materials like trailers and panels? It was a very long drive for us but if we could get there with enough panels, ample food to entice these wild llamas, and not get stuck in the snow or harsh condition, I knew three of us could do this. We had one open weekend that would work for Kent and me. We figured we needed about 12 large panels to build the corral and loading chute. After much searching and struggle with a few offers and then strange cancellations, Kent finally had to take apart his corral and load up his panels onto his truck bed and lean them up over his cab since he was going to also pull a trailer. Later we were to learn that Kent’s contact would bail on us but my husband, Frank Liptak was a good replacement
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Yes, there are eight llamas left to rescue: hidden is the newborn cria is behind the white yearling male and near her all black mother.
Our first rescue was September 29 – October 1, 2018. I had surgery on October 23rd and was not allowed to run around for a couple of weeks but by mid November, I was able to safely go and round up some more wild llamas and on November 16th. I headed up from Albuquerque separately - I had three llamas in my trailer transporting them northbound. In trying to be the most efficient with scarce Southwest Llama Rescue resources, I also would deliver three llamas who had been “cruelty seizures” (which I had worked with all summer) to their newly adopted home! This is always a happy occasion and the most enjoyable part of my volunteer work. Loving care was going to be provided by Cheryl and Karl Hermann in Elizabeth, Colorado; but first, I would have a flat tire on the trailer around Wagon Mound, NM which was par for the course. Later I got to show Frank where I got a flat tire during the first rescue and struggled with the spare on my truck right outside Southpark, CO; which turned out to be a sign that I should have replaced several tires before this trip. 
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Three females shown after the drop off at their new home in Elizabeth, CO while we were on our way to rescue the final eight in Fairplay CO.
Cheryl and Karl welcomed their new llama family with joyful excitement as we unloaded the three girls just before dark to explore their new home. They happily ate from Cheryl’s hand which was a very nice sight to see given their difficult history with people. My summer’s work paid off and Cheryl and Karl were the perfect people to take over.
My three-horse slant trailer was now ready for another rescue and I figured I could hold 6 llamas and Kent’s trailer could hold two llamas which was perfect for the 8 llamas we were saving. But what would we do with the ram? Did I forget to mention there was a ram in this story? I thought the ram should be left there for the family to rehome (we were Southwest Llama Rescue after all) and we were already saving 34 llamas and a donkey! But there were strong feelings for the ram by many folks. Ram was bonded to the llamas and in a way was helpful in the first rescue. He was tame, although a bit aggressive as he had rammed one of the rescuers. Kent decided that he would take the ram and two llamas. This proved a challenge with the trailer space that we had.
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Two yearling males with one mother and cria (cria hidden) and the ram are looking for food.
Upon arriving at the site just before dark, Kent and a family member were pushing a large round bale of hay into the designated corral area which was right along the roadside. We were very relieved that hay got delivered finally. It snowed the night before so the llamas should be hungry. A lot could be said about the trouble we had getting hay (similar to the panel debacle) but in the end our close partnership with a kind family member saved the day. After we set up the panels in the chilly evening, I thought we should close off the hay from the llamas so that the llamas could be caught in the morning after opening the corral. Otherwise they would nibble throughout the night and not be hungry enough to come back or stay. They were leery and not easily contained. In fact, Kent brought some panel extension material for the entire large corral that would prevent jumping. We knew we had jumping llamas and his three foot electrical fence was easily tied to the 5 foot panels providing 7 foot high corral. This was a much better deterrent than my flag tying on the end of bailing wire to the tops of the panels.

I enjoyed the evening light watching the herd of eight llamas plus sheep (ram) and getting acquainted with their dynamics. Black beauty is a new mom and it is amazing the tiny cria has survived the snow storm. The other orphan cria sticks by the black mama llama as well. There are three crias, in the mini herd, two female mothers, and three young bachelors.
​The next morning Kent arrived early and opened the corral to allow them in for the grass hay and the alfalfa I also spread around. He noted that they would not all enter at once and furthermore, there were only 6 llamas to be seen. The newborn cria was missing as was one of the young males. My fear was they met with a predator and the young male, in trying to protect the cria, was also gone or very injured. Should we capture the six in hand or should we wait to see if the other two arrive? It was pins and needles as we cleverly hid a few hundred feet away inside the truck up the road. Kent’s plan was for me to drive down the road and he would jump out while in motion and close the gate on the herd. They were not afraid of traffic and would not suspect a person leaping from a moving vehicle. We sat for about a half hour – I was dreading the fate of the two missing llamas when all the sudden, we see the little cria coming through the woods happily trotting towards her mother and the young male yearling walking calmly behind her. What a miracle! We called the yearling male Blackback, the Caretaker. I was so happy to see them, I could have cried. We spoke in whispers even though they could not hear us as we waited for all the llamas to find their way into the buffet zone. I was afraid starting the truck might startle the llamas –  so when another vehicle was driving by, I started up the engine and idled until Kent and Frank were ready to do the sneaky deed. Without rushing, while they were contentedly nibbling, we went into gear and drove slowly by, Kent and Frank lept out to quickly close the gate on eight llamas and a ram. Success! We all felt great and there was a mini celebration of high fives before we had to get them loaded up on the trailers, load up panels and other material, and head home. But more exciting times were still to come.
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A white fence extension on the panel prevented jumping out of the corral. Llamas and ram are seen here outside the corral thinking about coming in for hay.
It looked like we would need to put all the llamas in my trailer so that Kent could take the ram in his trailer. Although I had a tack room that Mr. Ram might have fit into; I could not take him to my place and I was thinking I needed the tack room to put the newborn cria in there for her safety (she was maybe a week old). So, the logistics of this ram as well as having Kent’s two llamas in my trailer and there not being a corral at Kent’s place (since we had to use his panels) was a messy problem that could only be solved satisfactorily if I found a home for the ram before getting to Walsenburg.
After loading up Mr. Ram in Kent’s trailer, Kent realized that he may be going home with Mr. Ram instead of the pair of llamas he wanted. It was late afternoon and about that time, our partner from the family arrived and helped with the loading of the panels. After that, I was ready to go. Kent requested help with the electrical line that was strung along the tops of the fence line that surrounded the field left there from the first rescue the month before. Having my trailer loaded up with the llamas, I was anxious to leave, but Frank was the more patient one and walked out into the snow drifted field and helped with the collection and careful roll up of the hundreds of feet of line.
There was a storm forecasted and very chilly temperatures for the night.  It was already after 5 pm when we started down the mountain and fog started to roll in. Once down in Fairplay, I had cell phone reception and kept trying to find someone who would take the ram so that Kent could then take his llamas from my load. I left several messages with people I knew, posted on social media sites, and even made a quick Craig’s list add: Free Merino Wool Ram! 
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Mr. Ram in Ken't trailer needing a home on our way to Pueblo, CO.
​The most exciting time was while driving down the mountain. The fog was coming in and while driving in the dark, I realized that I was not sticking to the road! My tires were slipping and it felt like the trailer full of llamas was pushing me around. Although we had not yet seen any precipitation, the fog was enough to coat the road with black ice and my two wheel drive Toyota Tundra was not cutting it. A few miles in I decide I must pull over. Other cars are driving along fine but with my vehicle and llama load, it was just too scary. I realized I should let Kent know that he should stay back in Fairplay and I called him on the phone just to hear him in a panic as he nearly slides off the road. Oops! I let him know that I am going to be waiting on the shoulder. Frank and I sit for about two hours before we see a sand truck go by in the other direction around 930 pm and decide to follow if he comes by going East, where we are headed. Kent who pulled over onto a better shoulder a mile ahead of us was not ready to go again but I was cold, hungry, and cramped enough to see how the road handled with a little sand. Going 10-15 miles an hour with other vehicles whizzing by, we white knuckled it into Canon City, Colorado to get to a fast food place before closing – but missed it by 10 minutes. We had very little to eat or drink all day and that made for short tempers. Just one more hour on the ice and we would be in Pueblo where we had a place to stay and could rest. Kent was still back on the mountain and our communication this late was sparse, but he had our address in Pueblo and I hoped that he would make it down.  What should have taken us 2.5 hours to drive, took us 7 hours and we arrived exhausted at our house in Pueblo, Colorado at midnight. The roads were covered in ice the entire way.
The next morning, we meet Kent at our house – he slept in his truck outside and he doesn’t look like that was very successful. We go out for breakfast and I ask everyone in the place in my loud voice if anyone would like a merino sheep today? We get a lot of chuckles but no takers. Given that it is Sunday, I am hoping that I can get ahold of my friend Rachel Storm before church as she is my best hope for wanting a ram as a 4H project for someone. Kent wants his llamas delivered to his place and for us to help set up the corral for the ram and llamas - but the road to his place is also perhaps not passable so we have a conundrum all due to Mr. Ram. Thankfully, right after breakfast, I get a call from Rachel and she is willing to take Mr. Ram – Yay! We just have to drive out to “the Lanes” near her place, load Mr. Ram into her trailer, sort out Kent’s llamas from the rescued herd and load them into Kent’s trailer, and everyone can be on their way home with their new animals.
Sunday was a beautiful overcast day and everything went right except for a couple of flat tires that I had in New Mexico (which I was getting quite used to anyway). And since this rescue, I have already adopted out two of the yearling males and have been building trust in the rest of them and beginning the training process. 
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Two crias, one momma, and one of the yearling males at our ranch getting fed and building their trust in people.
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The Large Llama Rescue of 2018 near Fairplay, Colorado

1/1/2019

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In September of 2018, Southwest Llama Rescue (SWLR) was called upon to rescue a large herd of llamas from the mountains above Fairplay, near Jefferson, CO running on 200 – 300 acres. We are always grateful for the chance to save the lives of llamas over the other tragic options; to euthanize, auction, or let perish in the elements. We learn that the current fencing they have is minimal, and they can jump onto the neighbor’s property and roam where they please. If they are ruled a nuisance for roaming outside their property or are found trespassing on national forest, some governments will have them killed. This herd of llamas have survived for many years, though some have perished, and new ones continually are being born. It is the end of September, and we know we are running out of time to save approximately 35 llamas (see figure 1) from a harsh winter, predators, and lethal exposure for the young ones.
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figure 1. Wild llamas with hundreds of acres to roam on.
Occasionally the llamas will come up to the old partially fenced corrals near the house and we hope that it will not be too difficult to contain them. However, there is no hay (as we thought there would be) to entice them and there is no incentive for them to come in. The llamas don’t volunteer to rescue themselves or walk into the containment area. The drought in Colorado has made hay more scarce and the usual roadside hay farms are not open this weekend. A local working at the motel spends hours on the phone trying to assist us in finding hay to no avail – this will be one of many challenges for this rescue.

We notice on Friday at the first site visit there is a lot of fence repair that we must do to contain them in a smaller field first before possibly getting them to go into the corrals which also have to be re-enforced. Several hours of the first day are spent organizing, planning, building, and repairing the containment areas. None of us have worked together before and we all have come with different experiences, successes, and failures from our past rescue efforts. We are struggling to mend fences, raise panels, and create an inviting yet secure area to confine 34 wild llamas which have also bonded with a donkey, ram, and an alpaca. Some of our well-meaning efforts are at cross-purposes of others’ efforts, unintentionally. I think one of the most challenging issues with a llama rescue is that it is always a customized effort for the situation, so each one is like a first -- especially when the team is meeting for the first time. People can be edgy in this stressful situation and there is a lot of work and a lot of patience required. Additionally, this takes a lot of resources and as a 503(c) organization, we are funded by volunteer time and private and donations. We are also dependent upon a local veterinarian to give us approval to move the llamas and we also need to coordinate with the local sheriff’s office.
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Figure 2. Jake and Jonna gearing up to transport a large herd of wild llamas.
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Figure 3. ET and Pat Little setting up the fences and panels.
Our first step was to build a large enough containment field to herd them into that would feel safe enough to the wild llamas that they would not jump or push the panels Also we built a corral and catch pen with a chute of sorts directing them ultimately into the trailer. This was the first early hours of Saturday after unloading and placing several panels on Friday evening.  A big mistake was thinking that hay was delivered and so no one brought any. Thankfully, the sheriff’s office contact brought us two small bales Saturday which would help us at least get started.

Our first attempt at about 9 am Saturday at moving the llamas into the large fenced area was fraught with trouble at the beginning. The llamas wanted to go differently than they were known to do and miss the initially proposed open gate all together. They started panicking as they were being pushed towards the corral. The rescue team was not in synch or agreement as to how to comport ourselves or how to coax or react around the llamas. We had a mixed bag of beginners and experience folks. The llamas all bolted away and ran off about a quarter mile down the hill and hid behind the treeline.  We learned lessons of routing of least resistance, keeping still and quiet, and the use of herding tape may have improved our chances. A pair of binoculars were needed to see them.

While we waited for a new opportunity, some volunteers walked the fence line and re-enforced openings and revised the entry point to the coral that we hoped made an easier funneling for the llamas. This meant E.T. and other volunteers walking over hundreds of acres. We hoped that we could get the llamas to try again, with less fear of us.
Kent waited about an hour to let them settle down before he went and simply sat down in the field with them He began to slowly coax them out and towards the fenced area. Around 12:30 there was an agreement with the rescue team (aha! Good to set your clocks and agree to a time for movement!) that we would try again to move them into the corral. This time we had more or less a cohesive plan (See Figure 4).

Jonna walked the road to keep the llamas from bolting up the mountain where we would lose them entirely. Jake, Lynda, Pat, Kent, E.T., Greg, and son (7 people!) created a partial circle behind the llamas. Using herding tape to signal the desired direction and a moving pseudo fence line. We slowly started moving the llamas forward. We were quiet, calm, and often stopped to control any panic. I tried to keep the tape spread out among everyone so that it would act as a deterrent for going backwards.  However, as they approached the corral, they were very reluctant to enter – but we had them in the larger fenced area closer to the corrals!
On Friday evening, we have a good-sized crew and meet over a pizza dinner at a local restaurant. Jonna Johnson and Jake generously came from the Technical Large Animal Rescue (TLAR) all the way from Houston, TX (see figure 2) with their perfect large trailer for moving the females and crias to our Texas Sanctuary & Nursery run by F.E. Baxter. Also, Pat and E.T. Little (see figure 3), our experienced rescuers from SWLR are up from Tularosa, NM and brought a trailer with 16’ panels for creating a secure corral. Kent Greentree from Walsenburg, CO also came with panels and is an experienced handler and trainer who brought thin tape for topping the fence line that would deter jumping. Gayle Woodsum brought her trailer to take some llamas and was the designated leader for the effort given her experience with the notorious Montana Sanctuary Rescue that dealt with 600+ suffering llamas during the heart of the winter in 2007. And of course, we had local support from the son of the owner of the llama herd and his family who were very kind, helpful, and ultimately grateful as his elderly mother was having to surrender her herd which has grown out of control (mixing males and females) over the years. I am in the area from Albuquerque, NM but also in the area on travel for work; and as an active member of SWLR, I volunteered as did the whole team to help these llamas move to a safer place and be cared for and managed properly.  This is my largest rescue so far.

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Figure 4. Jake (and others unseen) are slowly managing the herd toward the corrals.

As luck would have it, while we are all holding our breath, Donkey was most interested in the hay inside the corral and just ambled into the hay-filled corral and started eating hay – Yay! As several llamas followed, a few felt crowded and started bolting in different directions. A cria to my horror ran right into the herding tape like a clothes line on her neck and fell backwards – she was obviously released to recover and run off. I think we lost 4 of them in that moment. The large black female who seemed to be a leader was now facing me. She went high toward the treed area instinctively knowing she had the advantage among the aspens which was also near the road that was another escape route. We both darted and countered each other, eye-to-eye. She was stunningly beautiful, agile, and powerful. I can’t match her of course, and finally she bolts past me to her freedom. We lose her and one or two others. But wait, at the other end of the scene, I see another situation. One of the crias is running around in a panic, can’t find its mother, and is jumping around challenging the fences and panels. She finds a weak spot and manages to push down some cattle panel and climb out (5 1/2 ft. tall). Then a large female sees another small opening that she can clear – a small space only 4 ft. high, and over she sails. Two more lost.

But the best news is that in the end, we have 30 animals in the corral: 27 llamas, a sheep, an alpaca, and a donkey! We are all hoping no more will jump out. We let them settle in for the evening with the remains of two hay bales (See Figure 5).
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Figure 5. Most of the llamas are inside the corrals along with a sheep, donkey and alpaca.
On Sunday, Day 2, the sorting of sexes is to be done while I make a hay run to Buena Vista about 50 miles away. There is not enough hay for them to eat now and we need to sustain them to keep them as content as possible (Figure 6). 

Separating the males and females was another stressful time. It caused a lot of commotion and there was even a mutiny by the males who all powerfully pushed the line of panels separating them from the females and manage to rejoin the females. So, we started over to get the females in the front catch pen to load up for our sanctuary in Kerrville TX run by Baxter. Jonna who needed to get back to Houston has been delayed an extra day already and the vet was still nowhere to be seen – a requirement to move these llamas across the country is a vet check. We anxiously wait for the go–ahead to trailer the llamas as there is a very long ride for the females and crias not to mention our kind volunteers needing to get home. Finally, the vet comes and spends 5 -10 minutes to draw up paperwork and we are good to go. Loading takes patience as the llamas learn for the first time how to get into a trailer and to trust it enough to walk into. The hard work is only partly done as we get the females and crias loaded.  There are still the males and the family of llamas and donkey that Gayle is keeping that are all going into Gayle’s trailer.
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Figure 6. Some of the llamas in the corrals needing to be separated.
The sheep (ram) was left behind with 7 escaped llamas and that was a hard reality to swallow. No one knows when the next rescue could be arranged but we did know that before long we could be in the same predicament of breeding llamas running wild, jumping fences, and dying from starvation or exposure. We need to recuperate from this mega-effort and devise a plan.
Anyone interested in assisting with rescues, adoptions, or foster care, please let us know. We are on Facebook, Southwest Llama Rescue and our web site is www.southwestllamarescue.org. Please look us up Southwest Llama Rescue, Inc. and consider helping us with future llama rescues by volunteering or donating. Rescues are expensive to conduct and then the llamas are treated and cared for in our sanctuaries and foster homes. We carefully vet potential adopters for forever homes and have grown a community of loving llama caretakers with our llama adoptions, mentorship and information sources. Our mission is to ensure llamas are cared for and not auctioned, euthanized, neglected, or abused. We need your help to be able to continue our mission and are seeking all kinds of assistance.

​Next time – Part Two – Saving the Rest. (See Figure 7). 
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Figure 7. The bachelor trio that evade rescue and run up the mountain onto neighbor's land. See Part II for the rest of that story.
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Remembering Letta the Llama

10/28/2018

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Letta passed away this October 2018. We got her on Halloween 2010. If she was 13 as it was thought, then she lived to be 21. She was very sweet and a little shy.  She was once used for roping/lasso practice which was not good for her trust in people but she bounced back and became a trusted trekking llama.  Letta was gentle and a good llama for tentative or very young people to walk with.
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What was your favorite trek?

3/16/2018

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I was asked while on a trek today with some clients, "What was your favorite trek?" This was a good question that got me thinking what is it that I love about trekking with llamas? I did not come back with a location, or who was my favorite llama or even about the time I saw wildlife in Yellowstone on a llama trek. What I realized is that it always has to do with the company that I have along with me. When I get the family that really has a good time and appreciates what the llamas do for them, that is my favorite trek. And luckily, that happens a lot. it is rare to have a llama adventure that does not include people who are thrilled about the llamas. That is why I don't advertise very much. I am not interested in taking folks on a trek who are just wanting something to do - they have to be intentional about wanting to see llamas. Then everyone has a great time. 
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 Dogs and Llamas: The truth about what can go wrong

3/19/2017

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Llamas are domestic and require our support to keep and maintain their safety. I have placed several llamas with new homes and always evaluate the home on several points, including a safe environment. This is a warning that you can lose your llamas to a hidden danger that is difficult to ascertain. Don’t let your dogs run with your llamas - and if you see roaming dogs in your neighborhood, call animal control – they could kill your llama herd. I recently got a call from one of my llama adopters about this tragic event. This is a tragic story that I will share to hopefully prevent more killings.

My adopter had been given a llama who she named Tina. She fell in love with Tina and recognized that Tina needed companionship and called me about 4 months later to adopt one or more llamas. There was a neighbor to Tina who had an in-tact male who once or twice had come to visit, having gotten out of his pen (which males will try to do, if possible). They did not breed since I believe Tina spit him off and he was returned to the owner in time before any breeding could happen. My adopter was not interested in breeding – just companionship for Tina.

After my inspections and satisfaction that this was a good home, last April, I brought three llamas over to live with Tina. It was a great match as Tina right away started to follow the other three around and bond with them. They got along great. I checked on the llama herd 2 or 3 times and all was well.

I got the call two weeks ago that stunned me. Among the tears and pain, I learned that the family of three llamas were killed by roaming dogs (in fact they were significantly fed upon). The pictures were gruesome and hard for me to believe so much damage was done without anyone hearing any of it. Tina was alive but so badly injured I ultimately had to have her euthanized at the veterinarians and drive her to the crematorium for disposal. It was very emotional and difficult still as I am typing this.
Four llamas had lived together for about a year on one acre with the house on site, a good family of 5 also raising chickens and two small dogs (who were not part of the crime). The dogs that did this were very savage and yet where likely someone’s family pets in the area. I became worried for the safety of small children in the area and the other llama in the neighborhood. A report was filed with Animal Control who were provided pictures and descriptions - a witness seeing a Rottweiler with a German Shephard. The German Shephard was caught on a security camera and was wearing a collar – no tags. Animal Control set traps and caught the Shephard who was euthanized. Other dogs are being trapped and I am not sure of their fate. What can behave like a well-tempered family pet can all maim and kill animals as large as llamas. The neighbor is sure his male llama is mean and will be fine – I hope so, but I worry that if all the dogs are not caught, his will be next.

this issue is now a high priority when placing llamas and I am sending his out as a warning to all those who have llamas. If there are roaming dogs (even one dog has been known to bring down a llama) that is an indicator of a safety issue. Dogs come in many varieties: size, temperament, training, etc. However, what I have just witnessed makes me very concerned about having dogs able to get inside of a llama enclosure. The friendly and obedient dog that is a family pet can turn into a vicious killer when triggered. The pictures of the aftermath are too gruesome to publish.

I am also a dog lover and have two of my own that are of the herding type. I don’t allow them to enter my llama areas and have chainlink fencing. This is why barbed wire is not sufficient. Given the loose dog culture around the rural areas of New Mexico, this is a tough problem. We need everyone to be vigilant and to spread the word that loose dogs are unacceptable. 
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The Rescues Continue...

5/3/2016

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Lupe (male) from Albuquerque rescued Sept 2013 to MT to work as a pack llama in Yellowstone National Park
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Johnny and Ralph (geldings) moved from Corrales, NM to the Western Slopes of Colorado in Sept 2013
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Susie moved from Corrales, NM to Western Slopes of CO Sept 2013
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Luke, December 2015, intact male, very gentle, undernourished.
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15 year old gelded male taken in to Llamas del Sol May 2016.
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Butch moved from abusive, neglected home to new caring home in summer of 2014.
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Adopted by Lilly and Kojo.
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Lucy (felmale) from Corrales, NM moved to Buffalo, MO in Aug 2013 with her close friend Emma
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Sonny (gelded) moved from Corrales, NM to the Western Slopes of Colorado Sept 2013
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Molly and Dolly (females) moved from South Valley, Albuquerque to Mountain Home, TX June 2014
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Survivor of a dog attack in Estancia, NM - intact male, young and spunky, rescued in summer of 2016. Rescued by Kirsten and Daniel and named Yendo
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15 year old gelded male, easy to halter and walk. Terrell has always lived with Lorraine. Adopted by Lily and Kojo.
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Adopted by Eric and Michelle.
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21 year old female re-homed March 2016.
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21 year old Pedro re-homed in March 2016. Gelded male.
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Gracie is the mom - black llama and is 13 years old (as of 2017). Her daughter Summer is 10 years old and about 6' 6" tall!
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Emma (female) moved from Corrales, NM to Buffalo, MO with Lucy in Aug 2013
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Sasha (female) moved from Corrales, NM to Western Slopes of CO Sept 2013
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2015 non-breeding female (Karmon Lorraine) about 15 years old with gelded male (Terrell). Gave some halter training.
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Thumper (male) from Ojo Caliente, NM moved with Sheryl somewhere Nov 2013
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Como and Navigator adopted by Eric and Michelle.
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21 year old female re-homed March 2016.
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21 year old gelded male re-homed March 2016.
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15 year old Male (as of 2018). he has a little cloud in his left eye. Very gentile and pretty. He was never named by his prior owners so in called Noname, for now.
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Carlos and Sambra came in June 2018nfrom Ft. Collins CO after their owner died. They were hand feed and very friendly
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Sambra was a challenge for his owner as a bi of a bully. Now he is with other males.
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October 2018 Gelded and ready for adoption. A sweet boy who can wear a halter and lead.
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July 2018: Three females from Denkai Rescue from cruelty seizure never sheared in their lives.
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Sept 29, 2018 28 animals including a donkey and a sheep rescued from Jefferson, CO off of hundreds of acres. These wild llamas were a huge challenge for the crew of 7 people. We need to get the remaining 7 llamas.
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August 2018: Laguna male llama tied to a trailer and not able to lay down, drink, or eat. About 4 years old
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Sheared and trimmed and ready for adoption these are estimated to be 7, 10, and 16 ish years old. Very sweet llamas
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Able to corral 28 of the 36 animals (26 llamas) about 1/2 male and 1/2 female going to our male and female sanctuaries.
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Six llamas from the Jefferson CO llama rescue came to Llamas del Sol November 2018 and were all sheared, trained, and re-homed. The last two rehomed September 2019. Everyone went to great homes! Adoptions were 1. Mister in the N. Valley, ABQ, 2. Nina (Winkin), Orphina (Blinkin), Godiva (Nod) in Kanab UT, 3. Ringo (Larry) and George (Tony) in East Mountains, ABQ
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Tina intake Sept 7 from Jal, NM. Maybe 5-10 years old. Adopted and learning how to lead and pack!
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Llama Rescue: the First Four

5/1/2016

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The tiny corral Daisy and Dalai were living in.
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A young Daisy in 2010.
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Dalai right after her professional shearing in 2013.
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Suki after her professional shearing in 2013.
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Letta trekking with Suki behind in the Sandia Mountains

Its been a long time since I had some time to write about all my llama adventures. I am now going to log all the llama rescues and re-homes here.

​My very first llama rescue was how I got started in being a llama caretaker. Daisy and Dalai were my first rescue from my home town Gardner, Colorado. I knew nothing about llamas then and learned much later that they were about 18 months old. It was February 14, 2009 when I picked them up and a great Valentines gift! I found out these llamas were born in Gardner on a farm owned by Lynnette and Jessie Klienschmidt in July 2007 and the dams and sires came from Florissant, CO - a heard of hundreds of llamas (!) Dalai came from a dam named September who died but she was the protector of the herd. (That matches Dalai's personality and the protector). There was no mention of Daisy's lineage but they were born at the same time.

​My intent was to foster care for these llamas and find them homes. In learning about llamas and working with Daisy and Dalai, I completely fell in love. They are in their forever home with us.

​My second llama rescue was the llama I call Suki. Her name was Aspen when I got her. She was born in Pueblo, CO May 2004 and her Sire is Graham and her Dam is Vaska both residing at 40th Lane. In Suki's case, she was living with a lot of other animals and economic times pushed the owners to try to find a home for her. I brought Suki home on July 4th 2010 - another Holiday! Suki recognized Dalai as a leader and although Suki is larger than Dalai, she looks to Dalai for protection. Suki seems to be jealous of the relationship Daisy has with Dalai and often pushes Daisy around by trying to intimidate her and spit at her.

My third rescue was my forth female llama; named Isleta. Now we call her Letta. Her story was that she was used for roping/lasso practice somewhere in the South Valley outside Albuquerque. she had also belonged to Lynn Kaufman who was rumored to have ILR papers for her. I never met Lynn or saw the papers but the guess was that Letta was 13 years old when I got her on Oct 30, 2010 (happy Halloween!). She  had been previously rescued by some nice folks in Corrales, NM (Tom, Dale, and Rachel Taylor) not far from where I live. they were alpaca people and were looking for a home for Letta. A common friend (Jasmine Tritten) told me she was very pretty and sweet and really needed a home and I had better take her in! So, I picked her up, brought her home, and she quickly re-built trust in people.

​Until 2016, these were the only llamas that I kept. The next post begins the rest of the rescues that I found homes for.
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Gifts from our Customers

6/6/2014

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From Tara and Mike while on their trip through Peru
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Art by Tara and Mike Dunham during their visit to our little farm.
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Art by Lisa and Rob McKenzie during the vist to our little farm.
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    Author

    Lynda Liptak is the founder of Llamas del Sol and is dedicated to sharing the awesomeness of llamas.  She has owned llamas since February 2009 and it has been a very in-depth involvement. Lynda and her family have trekking llamas with very different personalities.  Lynda has been studying camelid dynamics since the start of her llama adventures and is an active member of Marty McGee's Camelidynamics Forum. She has completed the Basics Clinic (multiple times, and always learns something new - or it sticks better)  to include the shearing course, medication administering,  and has hosted the Camelidynamics Basic training at the Llamas del Sol ranch.

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