Alpaca Monika lost her mother shortly after birth
The alpacas Martina and Brigitte came to the Gut Aiderbichl Deggendorf animal visitor centre together with Monika, who is only a few days old.
The alpacas came from a group of confiscated animals near Brandenburg. The basic veterinary examination revealed that the alpacas were in excellent health.
Martina and Brigitte fell ill - Monika was looking for protection and a foster mum
One morning, the animal keepers Martina and Brigitte were completely shocked to find themsick in the stable. They had a fever and felt visibly ill. Immediatelytwo specialised vets were called in to help. A blood test was carried out and nobody could believe that the two llamas felt ill. Martina and Brigitte were takento the veterinary clinicwhere they sadly passed away after a shock colic. Left behind were little Monika and desperate keepers. The autopsy of the animals did not yield any particular results, and so it is suspected that Martina and Brigittesuffered a shock colicdue to incompatible food (apple or similar).colicdue to intolerable food (apple or similar),and unfortunately died far too young.
Monika needed a lot of attention
For the first time after the death of her mother Martina, Monika was bottle-fed. At the same time, the keepers were considering who could be Monika’s foster mum.
The answer came relatively quickly: Lama Silvia had decided to be there for little Monika. Silvia herself is a calm, loving llama who was also confiscated a few years ago and has been living in Deggendorf ever since. Now Silvia has found a new purpose in life.
On the large llama alpaca meadow, Monika takes centre stage. The meadow also offers the animals a slope, making it ideal for the llamas and alpacas to exercise. When running, Monika overtakes everyone and is thankfully happy all round – Silvia is a wonderful surrogate mum who takes her role as a carer very seriously.
Feeding the alpacas and llamas
Alpacas generally eat hay and grass and drink plenty of water. This all forms the basis of the animals’ diet. Alpacas eat 5% of their body weight every day, which corresponds to a feed intake of 2.5 kg to 3.5 kg, depending on the size and initial weight of the animal.
Our animal keepers also feed them mineral feed. Apples, carrots and other fruit are strictly prohibited. All animals from the camel family cannot tolerate these foods.
This is why the following also strictly applies:PLEASE DO NOT FEED OUR ANIMALS. It is well-intentioned, but can be fatal for the animals.
Always have respect for yourself, respect for others and take responsibility for your actions.
~ Dalai Lama
