Llama Rescue
Susi has had the pleasure to live and pack with llamas since 1994. Llama rescue is one of the projects close to our hearts at Yellowstone Llamas. Susi has been involved in rescue operations over the years and has welcomed unwanted or abandoned animals into the ranks of our pack llamas.
For the last few decades, the llama and alpaca community has been raising, breeding, selling, showing, packing and simply enjoying camelids. With the up and down swings of the economy over the past few decades, breeders and owners have come and gone. The market for these once extremely high-priced animals has slowly but steadily declined. This downturn resulted in more animals in need of “rescuing”, be it from neglect or simply from situations where owners cannot take care of them anymore.
There is no doubt that there is a surplus of llamas (and alpacas) in this country. Unfortunately, an imbalance of continued breeding and a more and more saturated market is certainly one of the reasons llamas find themselves in the “unwanted” corner. A message needs to go out to potential llama owners that “rescue llamas” are not inferior to “other” llamas. These animals may simply find themselves in a dire situation because they are the wrong color or size for the latest fad or their owners discarded them for other personal reasons.
Yellowstone Llamas is actively working to enhance the lives of “rescue llamas” by volunteering at rescue operations, by adopting rescued llamas and integrating them into our pack trip operation, by connecting potential adopters and adoptable animals, and by supporting non-profit rescue and care facilities such as the Southwest Llama Rescue Organization.
During the largest animal rescue operation ever conducted at a sanctuary, Susi participated in saving and loading hundreds of llamas destined for homes all over the country in December of 2011. The now defunct Large Animal Sanctuary in Northern Montana (MLAS) dangerously and in many cases fatally neglected over 1000 animals, over 700 of which were llamas – the largest llama herd in North America at the time! In the process, Yellowstone Llamas adopted 4 males. Otis, Teddy and Nahani joined our ranks of pack llamas and have roamed Yellowstone’s backcountry with us, while Pikuni, the little llama in the hay, stays at home. Lupe, not pictured here and rescued from a dangerous situation in New Mexico, as well as Lewis the Yellowstone Llama whose story you can find on this website, are the latest in the line of llamas rescued.
If you have enjoyed one of our llama treks that most certainly included one or more of our rescued llamas, and would like to make a donation to our llama crew, please contact us at treks@yellowstonellamas.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
To donate or adopt llamas nationwide or to inquire about volunteeering, please check out:
Thank you!
The Llamas and People @ Yellowstone Llamas