Offspring among the alpacas
There was a happy surprise at the zoo at the end of August. Animal keepers discovered a cria in the South America enclosure - the name given to young alpacas in South America. The mother is 16-year-old "Uschi", the father is four-year-old "Jacob". The alpaca herd at the zoo now comprises a total of four animals. At the moment, the young alpaca stallion can be seen exploring the enclosure and cautiously approaching his foreign neighbours.
Alongside llamas, vicuñas and guanacos, alpacas belong to the so-called New World camels. However, most people are more familiar with the domestic forms of New World camels, alpaca and llama, than the wild species. Many people know the llama in particular, which is descended from the guanaco, mainly because it is said to "spit". The alpaca, on the other hand, whose ancestral form is probably the vicuña, is often associated with its wool-loving qualities.
However, many people are not necessarily aware that llamas and alpacas are actually camels. This may be because they obviously lack the comparative characteristic - the hump on the back. What all camels do have in common, however, is a three-chambered stomach, which is functionally similar to that of ruminants. Ultimately, this stomach is also linked to the ability to spit. This is why all camel species are able to spit saliva and stomach contents.
At the zoo, however, nobody has to worry about being spat at by one of the alpacas living there. First and foremost, spitting serves as communication between members of the same species. Alpacas are also characterised by their calm and peaceful nature, which is why they have become popular farm and leisure animals in Germany and are even used in animal-assisted therapy.
For this reason, the South America enclosure is also designed as a communal enclosure. The alpacas share it with the nandus all year round and also with the capybaras in the summer months.
Opening hours in September:
Animal park: 9 am to 7 pm, last admission 6 pm
Game enclosure: 8 am to 6 pm, last admission 5 pm
www.tierpark-chemnitz.de