Remembering Luke

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.