Rafiki the suri alpaca
Rafiki, aka Cheeky Rafiki, lives on Wilderly Farm, Shipmeadow in Suffolk where he takes part in 'alpaca walks' in the local countryside.
The Suri alpaca is a fully domesticated alpaca that originates from the Vicuna, a protected wilderness area in the Andes mountains. It is one of only two breeds of the alpaca, the other being the Huacaya. Of 3.7 million alpacas worldwide, less than 10% are thought to be of the Suri breed.
This alpaca breed is now primarily found throughout the Andes mountains of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. The macho, male, can weight between 130 to 150 lb. (59 to 68 kg) while the hembra, female, weights between 120 to 145 lb. (54.5 to 66 kg). Their lifespan can range between 12 and 20 years.
Suri's will typically inhabit mountains with an elevation of 9,800 to 15,750 feet (2,990 to 4,800 m). Here, they live within the grassy shrubland on the mountains, their natural habitat.
The most noticeable characteristic of Suri alpacas is their fleece, which is seen as a luxury item across the world. The fleece’s texture is not the crimpy fleece of the Huacaya alpacas, instead it is wavy or straight with a shine and soft texture. Suri fleeces comes in 22 different colours, which can range from grey to a deep black and many shades of fawn, reddish-brown, roan, and dark brown. Suri alpacas are also the only alpaca that can produce a true black fleece, which is commonly used for weaving.
As the demand for Suri alpaca fleece has increased the Suri's excellent climate tolerance has allowed them to be farmed and kept in a variety of different climates around the world.
Rafiki the suri alpaca
Rafiki, aka Cheeky Rafiki, lives on Wilderly Farm, Shipmeadow in Suffolk where he takes part in 'alpaca walks' in the local countryside.
The Suri alpaca is a fully domesticated alpaca that originates from the Vicuna, a protected wilderness area in the Andes mountains. It is one of only two breeds of the alpaca, the other being the Huacaya. Of 3.7 million alpacas worldwide, less than 10% are thought to be of the Suri breed.
This alpaca breed is now primarily found throughout the Andes mountains of Peru, Chile, and Bolivia. The macho, male, can weight between 130 to 150 lb. (59 to 68 kg) while the hembra, female, weights between 120 to 145 lb. (54.5 to 66 kg). Their lifespan can range between 12 and 20 years.
Suri's will typically inhabit mountains with an elevation of 9,800 to 15,750 feet (2,990 to 4,800 m). Here, they live within the grassy shrubland on the mountains, their natural habitat.
The most noticeable characteristic of Suri alpacas is their fleece, which is seen as a luxury item across the world. The fleece’s texture is not the crimpy fleece of the Huacaya alpacas, instead it is wavy or straight with a shine and soft texture. Suri fleeces comes in 22 different colours, which can range from grey to a deep black and many shades of fawn, reddish-brown, roan, and dark brown. Suri alpacas are also the only alpaca that can produce a true black fleece, which is commonly used for weaving.
As the demand for Suri alpaca fleece has increased the Suri's excellent climate tolerance has allowed them to be farmed and kept in a variety of different climates around the world.