The alpaca

Alpacas are rare and precious animals. Together with their closest relatives, the llamas, they provided clothing, food, transport and accompany to the ancient Inca civilization. These Incas started domesticating alpacas and llamas about 5.000-6.000 years ago.  

After the Spanish conquest of the Inca empire, the alpaca was almost disappeared from South America. Though, they have survived because of their great importance to the local farmers, and their adaptability to extremely harsh climate circumstances. It wasn’t until about 1850 when the beauty and the luxury of alpaca fibre was discovered by the rest of the world. 

Today, most South American alpaca farms are situated in the Antiplano, a plateau in the Andean mountains on the border of Peru, Bolivia and Chili. Life is harsh on this plateau. The alpacas are exposed to a harsh climate, with burning sun during the day and severe frost during the night, and they are still farmed like the Inca’s did 1.000 years ago. Despite this, the animals survive here, although there aren’t many. In the whole of South America there are not more than 3 million alpacas. 

In the early 90’s the first alpaca farms were founded in Europe. The European alpaca industry is still a young business, with only 10.000 animals. But the market for animals, and the market for products are both growing, which makes the European alpaca industry a flowering business. 

The alpaca can be seen in a large variety of colors: pure white; different shades of fawn through chocolate brown; the grey tones, from light silver to the warm rosegrey or grey roan, and of course black. There are 22 recognized natural colors. The alpaca fibre is known in fashion houses all over the world.