8 ‘fearful’ llamas, including 4-month-old baby, rescued from BC property

BC SPCA rescues often involve cats and dogs, but the non-profit animal rescue had a bit of an exotic case recently.

Eight llamas, including a fourth-month-old baby, were rescued from a property in Surrey after being alerted about their concerning condition.

“An animal control officer was contacted about llamas being at large and possibly abandoned,” said Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA’s senior officer of protection and stakeholder relations. “When they went to the site and saw their condition, they reached out to us.”

According to Drever, the llamas were heavily matted and had overgrown toenails, with no access to shelter, feed or drinking water.

The animals were transported to the BC SPCA’s Good Shepherd barn in Surrey by an animal protection officer with a farm animal hauler.

“We are working with a veterinarian to determine the best course of action in terms of shearing the llamas,” explained Layla Gilhooly, manager of the BC SPCA’s Surrey community animal centre and Good Shepherd barn.

“Llamas are typically sheared once a year in the spring, but these llamas are extremely matted, which may cause irritation.”

She says the llamas are unfortunately still “too fearful for us to safely be able to groom them.”

While winter isn’t the normal time to shear llamas due to the cold temperatures, the animals will be given blankets to keep warm if they do end up being sheared before the temperatures rise.

While the llamas could be available for adoption as early as next week, Gilhooly says they are social animals who live in herds.

“They do not do well on their own,” she noted. “They can happily coexist in pastures with goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and other animals.”

If you’d like to make a donation to the BC SPCA to help with the care of these llamas and other animals, click this link.