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Alpacas are members of the camilid (camel-id) family. Camelids include camels, llamas, alpacas, vicunas (vi-cu-nas) and guanacos (gua-na-kos), all of which are ruminants, much like cows and deer. These gentle, loveable animals have a multi-chambered stomach and chew cud in order to digest their food. This is a very efficient way of converting grass and hay into energy, and means alpacas eat far less than other animals. Currently native to the South American countries of Bolivia, Chile and Peru, alpaca's numbers are still relatively small, with just over 3 million animals on the continent. But over 5,000 years ago, in the young Incan empire of South America, llamas and alpacas were plentiful and domesticated. Llamas were used as pack animals to haul supplies. However, alpacas, used for their fine fleece, were revered and treasured. These beautiful animals were one of the key foundations to Inca commerce. They provided food, clothing, fuel and transportation to the Incas who were accustomed to a very harsh and hostile existence. In the Incan society, garments made from alpaca fiber were reserved only for royalty. Alpacas were considered a valuable possession and were used as money in the Inca civilization. Some say they were the very first form of currency. When the Spanish conquered the Inca in the 1600s, the alpaca herds were massacred, almost to the point of annihilation. The surviving animals were tended by the Indian peoples. In the 1800s, Sir Titus Salt, an English manufacturer of woolens, discovered the fabulous alpaca fiber. Against the advice of his father, he spun the "alpaca hair" and wove it into beautiful fabric, producing products that gained prominence for their quality and warmth. In 1984, the first alpacas were imported into the United States. Today, there are about 45,000 alpacas in all of North America. Alpacas still live on the Andean plateau in the mountains of South America. Alpacas can also be found in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, New Zealand, France and Japan.
