The Case for Llama Rescue

I was recently involved in a debate about the effects of animal rescue and more specifically – rescuing llamas. This turned out to be an emotive issue to which I had only ever thought there was one side – that all animals deserve the greatest respect and care that humans can give……unconditionally.

It was put to me though that many (although I believe this should really be amended to ‘some’) animal breeders believe that by protecting animals that have a weak genetic disposition, the species gene pool is threatened.

The gene pool of animals living in the wild is, apparently, maintained through the maxim ‘survival of the fittest’. The weakest animals are culled from the field by predators.

I presume this to mean that humans have the right, therefore, to decide which animal should live and which should die. We all have different views about the value of life and having lived with a strict vegan philosophy for nearly two decades, I obviously live on the ‘pro-life’ side of the fence.

My debate was with a hunting dog breeder, who carefully examines each new puppy and ’culls’ those that don’t quite make the grade.

My thoughts were, well why don’t we do this with humans? …..but of course we already do! With the advent of ultrasound examinations and other various tests, parents can see whether the unborn baby looks like it will come up to standard and if it doesn’t then it can deleted and they can start again. Expressed in this way it sounds remarkably like something a short, flatulent Austrian chap came up with in the 1930’s.

Back to Llama’s though – Looking at our own motley crew of camelids, I don’t see many genetic throwbacks amongst them! Certainly one of them has a deformed leg, which is nothing but an corner prop for him. However, he has sired in his time, six babies, all very healthy and strong. The mother is also a rather odd shape, but again this has no reflection in the crias she has produced.

One of our animals was bred as a racer; born to pull carts over long distances. Somehow though, the novelty of it wore off and his naughty habit of jumping fences meant that he was no longer desirable. With a little love and care though, his ragged, matted coat and ulcerated face (from years of wearing a halter) have healed. He even limits his fence jumping for entertainment purposes only.

Amongst the others that came to us is an overly aggressive male who settled immediately when placed with a new herd. Herd dynamics are often difficult for humans to understand, but simply changing those dynamics can help settle disputes or introduce them.

We have Bella of course, who has featured so much in this blog – not exactly a rescued llama, but one who was no longer desired. She doesn’t have the most elegant gait perhaps, but she is the largest female we have seen and a natural herd leader.

Of the rest, only one stands out as being a candidate for culling or at least he probably would have been, without the assistance of a surrogate ‘Uncle’ and some additional corrective treatment. Growing up with young children who wrestled and played with him, he had all the hallmarks of developing ‘aggressive male behaviour’ also known as ‘berserk male syndrome’.

I cannot see any reason for any of these animals to be euthanized or dispatched to the meat factory as is common practice. Just as humans come in all shapes and sizes, so do llamas – tall llamas, short llamas, chubby llamas, thin llamas, long coat, short coat, straight ears, bendy ears, thin tail, bushy tail and even the slight cowed hock is no reason for an animal to be culled.

Every year millions of pets are just abandoned, regardless of any pedigree, because humans no longer want them. According to the animal shelters and rescue homes, people either throw their animals out into the street to fend for themselves or leave them tied up outside the shelter. Others are just left to die slowly from malnourishment and lack of care in a back yard or pen. The most common reasons for this behaviour are:

Family break up
Undesirable pet behaviour
Animal grows too big
Animal becomes ill
Loss of interest in the animal

Of course I understand that humans have widely differing attitudes towards animals in the same way that they have widely differing attitudes towards other humans, but guardianship of an animal or human is a huge responsibility and the more this message is broadcast, the less suffering there will be.

We now have to consider whether to stop taking in unwanted Llamas or whether to create a Llama rescue charity and seek sponsorship to look after these animals.