Alpacas

Our trio of alpacas are quickly stealing hearts here at Vauxhall City Farm, we hope you’ll love them just as much as we do.

Alpacas originally come from South America and are kept for their fine, soft wool. Their wool is much like sheep’s, but warmer and not so itchy! Because Alpaca wool doesn’t contain lanolin (a natural grease found in sheep’s wool), making it hypoallergenic. It can also be processed without the need for high temperatures or harsh chemicals in washing.

Alpacas make great guard animals and farmers will often have a couple in amongst their herd to chase off foxes and dogs. It is their intelligence and curious nature, that make it possible to train them.

Our previous alpacas, Tom, Ben and Jerry had many starring roles in TV and movies, including playing alien farm animals on planet Jakku, in Star Wars – The Force Awakens.

Huge thank you to Alice Cheetham for this interpretation of our description of the alpaca costumes, signed by our very own Jerry!

Other Media Appearances

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (at 2:36)
• Adverts for an Italian Orange Juice Brand
• Play Ojo casino advert
• BBC “I Can See Your Voice”
• November 2021 Issue of Telegraph Magazine photoshoot with actress Laura Haddock
• Photoshoot with Home & Away actress Eliza Murray
• Met Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex during Black History Month 2020
• ITV News
• BBS News and Breakfast Show
• Sony Music Ad
• Classical Vauxhall
• Ben & Jerry’s Festival on Clapham Common

Llama or alpaca?

We often get asked if our alpacas are llamas, in fact they are very different animals. Unlike llamas, alpacas are not very strong and can’t carry heavy weights. Llamas also don’t have the lovely soft wool of an alpaca, they have rough, coarse fur.

There are a lot of similarities though, both alpacas and llamas are part of the camelid family and are related to camels, vicuna and guanaco.

Did you know that you can support the farm by adopting our animals?