Poor Santa, then poor poor Alan!

Feeding time with the alpacas usually goes very smoothly, apart from the fact that they all love their concentrated food, and there is always at least one alpaca, trying to get it's head into the bucket with the feed in. Santa, at six months old, is very playful now, and dinner time is no exception. We usually put down the bucket that has the feed in too, and being that its smaller he rather likes it. One evening a couple of weeks ago the dinner was all gone, but Santa decided to play with the bucket. He tossed it up in the air and it landed right over his head, and slid down his neck! Well the little fella leapt about, not knowing what on earth had happened to him. His mum on the other hand, huge, beautiful, gorgeous but I can floor Mr. Nigel Cobb in a split second, thought something was round his neck, and attacking her baby boy. Of course she thought it must be to do with us, and as Alan neared Santa to try and get the bucket from round his neck, the spit fest began! Well we have seen alpacas spit, luckily for us though, we have only ever had warning spits, that are usually little more than air. However not this time! Poor Alan was cornered by Bermuda who literally, and yes I mean literally covered him from head to toe in green, disgusting spit, and making dreadful alarm calls! Poor Alan rather looked like someone had thrown up, green stuff all over him, and with their three stomach's, yuk, it smelt like it too! Alan shouted for me to try and help, but then Bermuda ran towards me, she was just so scared, bless her heart, she knew something was happening to her baby, and she is the most protective mum.

We felt particularly sad as we had worked really hard with Bermuda. She had rather a reputation, personally I feel she has been happy in a small herd and we have really been able to spend some time with her. She eats from our hand and we can catch her quite easily, bless her, she has come a long way.

Eventually Alan suggested we give them a little more food, so we gave them all half an hour to calm down a little, then she walked calmly towards me and ate out of my bucket, I was so pleased. Meanwhile Alan was able to get hold of Santa, and take the bucket off. No harm done, and Alan headed straight for a shower!

Bermuda on a calmer day
Handsome little Santa!