Alpaca History
Since ancient times, the South American Andes Mountains have been the ancestral
home to the prized alpaca. Their fleece was cherished by members of the Incan
civilization (referred to as "The Fiber of the Gods"), and their graceful herds of alpaca
roamed the lush foothills and mountainous pastures. In the 17th century, Spanish
conquistadors killed a large part of both the Incan and alpaca populations, forcing the
retreating survivors to seek refuge in the high mountain plains known as the Altiplano.
The high altitude and harsh landscape ensured only the hardest of these creatures
survived, and these ancestors of today's best bloodlines have provided a gene pool
producing hardy, agile animals with dense, high quality fiber.
In 1984, a small group of importers brought the first of a carefully selected herd of
highest quality alpacas into the United States and Canada, and they immediately
became a beloved part of the North American landscape.
Key Data and Facts
Native Habitat
Peru, Bolivia, and Chile are home to the largest populations of alpacas in the world.
Modern alpaca breeders in the United States continue to learn from the expertise and traditions of these South American countries.
