In the higher altitudes of the Andes Mountains here in Peru and especially around Cusco, a city east (maybe a little southeast) of Ayacucho herding pack animals is a way of life. They are herded for the wool and the meat, but mainly the wool. Sheep too, but in the areas I mentioned including Ayacucho the pack animal of choice is the Alpaca, a relative of the Llama. They are in the cameloid family along with their friends the llama and vicuna. Vicunas here are on the endangered species list. It is against national law to remove any items made of or generated from Vicunas. Their wool is incredibly soft, fine, and valuable. It is also hard to find so if ever in Peru and someone is trying to sell you a rug or sweater made of Vicuna at a "good price" just for you....take heed, they probably squish when they walk too!!There is a zoological park here in Ayacucho, the city proper. It is run as a study lab by the San Cristobal University Huamanga located here. They have a smattering of animals from all over Peru, as well as some from across the globe like the male and female African lions. It was great to go once, but I do not need to go back. The one cool thing was getting to see the llamas (Ll is pronounced Ya), alpaca, and vicunas all at once so you can see the difference. Let me see if I can this right (top-alpaca, L-llama, R-vicuna). I know the vicuna is the light brown one. It is also a
symbol of one of the political parties here in Ayacucho.
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