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.
​

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. 

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. 

This year the Alameda Studio Art tour was a good time for us at Llamas del Sol. Hester Balsam (goat print t-shirts), Cecilia McRoberts (painting and tiles), and myself (llama fiber art) shared space and our weekend with each other and welcomed folks to see our work and visit us. Here is a short video that was taken from the tour of various art pieces and activities. Look for the llamas at Llamas del Sol! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3557148064428

​Thanks to the cooperative effort of volunteers, law enforcement, Parks and Wildlife, and the State of Colorado, 22 llamas were successfully rescued from starvation and neglect and have been moved to pre-screened homes to receive veterinary attention and care. 
It began with an email requesting help from the County Sheriff’s Office to F.E. Baxter, Co-Founder/Treasurer of Southwest Llama Rescue (SWLR), on October 3. A follow-up call came to me from the Colorado Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Protection Lead Investigator/Coordinator on Thursday October 6. The investigator asked if SWLR could assist with a case where they were serving a warrant and seizing llamas. The estimate was 20 llamas that needed a place to go. Without hesitation, I said, “yes, definitely. I don’t yet know where we will put them, but we will figure it out.” But they weren’t just looking for a commitment, they were ready to go that Sunday, October 9th – the date for the warrant to be served. This was a short notice emergency!

​Having a small network in Colorado was lucky and imperative. Robin Benton is my go-to, so I was relieved that she was available. Also, Eric Gustafson, another SWLR volunteer, was quick to take a personal day from his demanding work schedule to help these llamas in need. Between the three of us (and our companions), we could load 20 llamas into our three trailers. I called Ingrid Thompson for a location to temporarily house the llamas. I had met her at another llama roundup earlier this summer. Ingrid and
Duane Snader of Cloverleaf Farms West (CFW) agreed without hesitation to take the llamas temporarily. The had some space that we could separate males from females; so, I was so relieved that they volunteered to help us. None of us could have taken in these many llamas! Frank, my husband, was also recruited. He came mainly to keep me in check and to assist with some heavy panel lifting and setup for the llama roundup and his creative, calm, and thoughtful perspective is always a great benefit in the sometimes-chaotic atmosphere of a wild llama rescue.

​Frank and I headed up to Colorado on Friday to stay in Pueblo and prepare for the event. All this was happening while I was coordinating a llama adoption process long distance in Grand Junction. Alexis Knight who with Kathleen Knight has been fostering and training two male llamas covered for me and did a wonderful job finding a candidate, reviewing facilities, and assisting with the overall adoption and successful transfer. Danielle Yahn, the new owner, is also now another potential volunteer in Grand Junction.
The field team met 0900 Sunday in the parking lot at 11 Mile office for a briefing. We heard about the owner’s property who was being served – he was not home, gratefully, so there was no confrontation. On the team were State, County, and Park officers. Some were armed for the situation. We all signed a sheet as participants with our contact information. Eric also brought his daughter Lena and her friend Michaela who were very helpful.

The day before, the wonderful Park Officer rounded up five of the roaming llamas penned them at the 11 Mile Park office. There were other llamas at large, around the property as far as a mile away, to go look for. The Colorado State Animal Control had a plan to split up the team: the state and county officers were going to the property to serve the warrant and take evidence for the investigation, and SWLR was to go with the 11 Mile Park officer, find a place to put our panels up, and capture the llamas that were roaming off the property. One of the males had advanced aberrant behavior syndrome (ABS) (aka novice handler syndrome) and was labeled as Aggressive Llama in the photos we got from animal control. It was said that he was certainly bottle fed. The 11 Mile Park officer had a long history with him and named him Carl after the popular and violent llama in the cartoon., ‘Llamas with Hats’. The issues with this llama herd have gone on for 10 years. Carl was known to chase park goers, knock them down (I saw a video) and not let fishermen out of the water. He was known to put his head in the window of cars and bite people. He was a serious threat to the public and the plan was to dispatch him, sadly. We had no one who could take Carl – he was not borderline, he was advanced ABS, the result of hand feeding or coddling llamas and not enforcing personal space. He was the first llama that we saw when we followed the Park officer and the game warden into the hills.

​We were off-roading with our trailers about a mile from the property. With binoculars, we also saw a small herd of about 5 llamas about 100 yards away from Carl. The llamas were scattered over more than a mile of open land, with access to hundreds of acres of open space. Most private fencing in the area is relatively low barbed wire, easy for many llamas to jump. We were challenged by the enormous size of the landscape for this roundup effort. The other llamas in the vicinity came running to Carl (a surprise to to some but llamas are bonded and curious). The officer got out hay and tried to set up panels while the llamas were eating in hopes of containing them for us. The females were almost penned with the two officers using a rope for herding them when a male llama was approaching and stepped on a strand of barbed wire. He panicked and ran, wrapping the barbed wire even more around him. All these llamas then ran, giving rope burn to our park officer.

The llamas were scattered over more than a mile of open land, with access to hundreds of acres of  open space. Most private fencing in the area is relatively low barbed wire, easy for many llamas to jump. We were challenged by the enormous size of the landscape for this roundup effort. 

From a mile away, we saw the scared llamas through binoculars approaching the property cautiously where their herd mates were being loaded up.  In the meantime, the animal control officers posting the warrant, could be seen with binoculars by us, loading up the llamas that were on the property into their large stock trailer. We could see loose llamas all around in open spaces outside the property and three of them were crias. We waited about an hour –after they had the first 10 llamas loaded when we heard over their radio communications, they were ready for help. There were also three goats living with the llamas that were loaded up in the cattle trailer with the llamas.

The opening of the property is where the officers had staged their trucks and trailer so when the loose llamas approached, they did not want to enter. it's always a challenge when multiple agencies and people are trying to organize an effort to catch animals without time for more pre-planning, and an agreement on who will lead the effort. Everyone sincerely wants to help but there were multiple authorities, and the plan came together as it evolved. State Animal Control had 10 panels 5.5 ft. high and 12 foot long and had them set up except one side being 4-strand wire fencing that we needed to re-enforce with my panels to prevent escape. Two large males kept trying to come in but with human bodies everywhere, and us trying to set up the panels by the entry to completely enclose their corral, it was chaos. Two adult males and an adolescent male were finally corralled. One of these males was aggressive and would charge and rear up. He did not scream or spit but clicked a lot at the crew. I called him borderline ABS.

​I made a comment that the llama people should load these guys which was not meant to insult anyone, but tensions seemed to mount even more, then. The adolescent male then jumped through the fencing back out on the road but we managed to get him back in the property to corral him more securely. We loaded the two males into Eric’s trailer, including Cowboy, the borderline ABS male. The rounding up of the three month-old crias, another adolescent male, and another adult male was stressful as we were on about 10 acres and parts of the fencing was compromised where they could get out, if pressured. Four or five of us tried to do it, but the crias or the other two would squeeze out. I brought out 500 feet of herding tape and finally all nine or so crew worked together to slowly herd the llamas into our large corral. It was a good feeling with everyone working together, for the most part. With everyone’s patience thinning, we did get the five remaining llamas into my trailer successfully. Only two large males, one with barbed wired around him, who I call Tangled, were outside and too spooked to collect. 

​We got the three crias in who were separated from their mothers that were loaded into the officer’s cattle trailer.   We traveled back to the 11 Mile office to get the five llamas waiting there into Robin’s trailer. It was about this time that I heard that there were 18 deceased llamas on that owner’s property where we just were. This was stunning and sad news that would go into the investigative report about the neglect and cruelty of this case. We were grateful that SWLR was to take the 22 live llamas in their trailers to CFW. An attempt to do some musical trailers from the cattle trailer to Eric’s trailer was not successful. Our State Animal Control Officer generously agreed to drive their cattle trailer to CFW with the 10 llamas (minus the three goats). Then we loaded the 5 waiting llamas at the office juggling them a bit to separate a male into Eric’s trailer from the two more mothers with older crias going with Robin.

Arriving at CFW, Ingrid and Duane had about an acre of fenced and cross fenced area that we unloaded four trailers of llamas into. Hay and water was enjoyed and the reunion of the crias and mothers was a joy to watch. They were all recuperating and enjoying loving care for two weeks while we received the release form from animal control so we could adopt them to good homes. Ingrid and Duane adopted a mother-cria pair and another three were adopted by a close neighbor. The remaining eleven females and crias were transported to our SWLR sanctuary in Kerrville, TX with F.E. Baxter. Of the remaining llamas, there are 6 males; and Cowboy, is already spoken for. Other than many of the llamas being very thin, some needing shearing, and intestinal parasites. We were very lucky to get them when we did. The remaining two are out there and need to be rescued before winter comes. Two failed attempts, but we are still going to keep trying.