Offspring among the New World camels at Chemnitz Zoo
Since the beginning of August, there have been more offspring at Chemnitz Zoo's South America enclosure. The animal keepers in charge discovered a cria - as the young alpacas are called in South America. The mother is six-year-old "Rafaela" and the father is five-year-old "Jacob". The alpaca herd at the zoo now comprises a total of five animals.
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 ability to provide wool.
However, the fact that llamas and alpacas are actually camels is not necessarily common knowledge. This may be due to the fact that they obviously lack the comparative feature - 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, you don't have to worry too much 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. At the moment, the young alpaca mare can be seen exploring the enclosure and cautiously approaching her foreign neighbours.
Opening hours in summer:
Animal park: 9 am to 7 pm, last admission 6 pm
Game enclosure: 8 am to 6 pm, last admission 5 pm