Guard Llamas

Llamas population increases worldwide and their owners breed them mostly for their fibre, which is sold at higher prices than sheep wool in addition to offering numerous options to the industrial and handcrafts worlds. Meat and leather are also other highly profitable options. Besides, llamas can be acquired as companion animals given their docility and their sociability.

Now, llamas have proved to be useful also as guard animals. They are successfully employed for the protection of sheep from potential predators. Having llamas as guard animals remarkably reduces deaths during lambing season by the attacks of dogs, foxes and boars. This theory, which travelled around the world, has been confirmed in Uruguay through research carried out by the Secretariado Uruguayo de la Lana (Uruguayan Wool Secretariat), which predicts a flourishing future after obtaining positive data from their experience.

Guard Llamas offer an effective way to reduce predation without resorting to killing predators. At the same time, they require little taming and care. To protect, llamas apply every defense mechanism they have. The most astounding is the spit, a nauseating and acid mixture of saliva and partially digested substances. Even soaked with spit, predators should consider themselves lucky if that spit does not reach their eyes. Llamas also resort to noises and groans as well as kicking predators and persecuting them at great speed.

Predation has been a problem for a long time. Different methods have been applied to diminish predation. Guard llamas offer an effective way to reduce predation without resorting to killing predators. At the same time, they require little taming and care.