We tease here at the ranch that we have animal pastures and people pastures, and both require husbandry. There is much to be learned about humanity by caring for animals. Particularly, camelids, which include alpacas and llamas, bring a very unique set of lessons to the human than that of other livestock..
As “high protocol” animals, alpacas are very different than their more traditional farmyard compatriots, goats. If one has had experience interacting with goats, they learn just how forward these hoofed creatures can be with humans. Goats will come right up to you, demand scratches and pets, eagerly search your pockets for those hidden treats, sampling the taste of your clothes, all while also pooping around you. It’s what goats do.
Camelids are very different. They are naturally averse to being touched. In the early marketing of alpacas to the North American public, they were billed as the ‘huggable investment’, a moniker that had alpaca breeders chuckling. While alpacas can be desensitized to touch, it is not in their nature to want a hug. Such fawning action from the human will repel that animal away from you.
To wit, alpacas present our tourists with the object lesson of consent and permission. We learn not to anthropomorphize our human sensibilities on to the alpaca, but rather attenuate our human behavior to that of the camelid. These high attraction value animals certainly are a magnet for the public, a veritable living unicorn of sorts. Tourists want to have a meaningful interaction with them when they visit us.
So, as a good shepherd to both the herd of alpacas, and the horde of tourists, I find myself stepping in as if an ambassador to the meeting between two different cultures. When children visit us, we ask them if they’d like to learn the secrets of alpaca speak. Wide eyed, they lean in when I tell them that it’s their posture and how they behave, rather than any sounds or vocalizing, which are key to attracting the attention of an alpaca.
“Can I pet the alpaca?” The most commonly asked question, is met with the answer of, “Sure, but you must pet them with your nose and not your hands.” You can see the wheels turning as both child and adult try to grasp the disjointed concept of using one’s nose for touch rather than smell. But, a nose-to-nose boop with an alpaca is actually a very respectful and trust building “Hello.”
Along with that retooling of human understanding, they will learn that their arms might as well be two mutant llama necks swinging around. Reaching out yours to an alpaca literally translates into, “move away! You are in my space!” The camelid will happily oblige and put distance between the outstretched arm, a disappointment for those thinking they will give some free pets.
To an alpaca, any interaction is about seeking consent and permission. So, every visit a tourist has with the herd is an opportunity to present a very human object lesson. One must first build trust in order to make contact with any camelid. We talk about the concept of coming into balance with the animal before ever considering making contact.
For the human, coming into balance in any social situation demands not only an understanding of oneself, but also the audience or group being engaged. We often see imbalance in many social situations, one human dominating a conversation while the rest of the group slowly loses interest for not being included. With camelids, that interaction is quick and decisive. If a person pays no heed to the space in which the alpaca resides, the alpaca will quickly absolve them of any interaction, being driven away by such independent behavior rather than interdependent behaviors which consider the group.
To come into balance with alpacas means understanding how we present ourselves. Our posture drives the bulk of that conversation. Children are much more adaptable to this than adults seem to be. They quickly learn that when an alpaca is facing you directly, they are presenting their narrow profile. An alpaca facing a person is assessing trust. However, a person facing an alpaca does so with their broad front profile, that puts them in opposition to the alpaca. The animal thinks the human is demanding engagement and becomes wary of any movement.
The better way to understand such a concept is the example of standing together on an elevator. Humans don’t stand face-to-face in such a small space, they stand shoulder-to-shoulder, or, narrow profile to narrow profile. When standing with an alpaca, the human learns not to face them, but to turn sideways, presenting their narrow profile to the alpaca. Suddenly, posture shifts everything. Instead of standing in opposition to the animal, standing sideways finds the human joining their herd. Trust is being built, and camelids are all about building trust first.
Humans interacting with camelids, learning about trust building through posture and positioning, understanding the concept of finding balance within a group, begin to develop a deeper sense of what connecting with another is all about. Alpacas as teacher and coach have seen numerous high-energy kids, especially the ones that run around feral while parents try to rein them in, suddenly connecting their behavior to the camelid consequence of moving away from them. No matter the pouting or protestations, if they aren’t in balance with the alpaca, they aren’t going to get any interaction. Once that clicks, a child’s behavior adapts, many times to the surprise of the parent.
These animal interactions become humbling lessons in regulating our own behaviors, tempering our emotional responses, and learning adaptability within a new situation. Alpacas and llamas have many lessons in humanity to share. Out on the ranch, we are blessed with the opportunity for them to teach the public a class in grace and social awareness. Engaging with a camelid, is a formative childhood experience. Each visit with an alpaca holds the opportunity to learn how to become more humane.
