The North Okanagan Shuswap鈥檚 favourite camelids have found a new, likely permanent home.
After a last-minute move to Mara at the end of March from their temporary Vernon home, the Llama Sanctuary鈥檚 herd of 36 llamas and alpacas, their human caretakers, and all of the animals鈥� required supplies and equipment moved again in April.
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An opportunity was presented to sanctuary co-owners Lynne Milsom and David Chapman in the form of greenspace at Recline Ridge EcoPark at 1315 Tappen Valley Road (formerly occupied by Orica Canada).
Chapman said although the park is mostly industrial land, the green area in the middle is designated Agricultural Land Reserve.
鈥淭he park鈥檚 goal is sustainability, and the llama park can feature in the middle of that,鈥� said Chapman. 鈥淭hey needed something to do with that land, and someone to cut the grass, so we seemed to fit in very well with their plans. It fits in with ours as well.鈥�
Chapman said he and Milsom feel a rapport with the owners of the park, and that the llamas are safe because the property is gated so visitors can鈥檛 come as the please 鈥� they need to book an appointment ahead of time or they鈥檒l be met with a locked gate.
Moving the llamas again so soon was challenging, Chapman said. At the Mara property, the animals were in a very large field so corralling them into a smaller compound, through a gate and into trailers, was tricky.
鈥淪ome said no,鈥� laughed Chapman. 鈥淏ut we know how they work; we got them the next day.鈥�
Overall, the move went smoothly. The challenge now lies in building out their new home.
While there is a perimeter fence around Tappen property, some of it is barbed wire that Chapman wants to replace, and additional fencing needs to be put in to divide the large space into smaller enclosures. The land also has no structures on it, and the llamas need shade going into the hot summer months. Chapman is close to finishing rebuilding the barn with a canopy roof they used at the sanctuary鈥檚 earlier home in Chase, but it requires levelling ground and putting in foundation blocks. He also has plans to plant trees, but those will take years to grow tall enough to provide shade.
鈥淭he llamas are delighted with their new situation,鈥� said Chapman. 鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 very happy where they were. Now they鈥檙e much more playful and being themselves.鈥�
Shearing time is also approaching, which Chapman prefers to do under some shaded cover. He said the llamas are looking scruffy as the sanctuary has had a difficult few months and they haven鈥檛 kept up with perfect grooming.
鈥淲e鈥檒l get them spruced up, shorn down, and start again. It鈥檚 a fresh start.鈥�
He mentioned there was vegetation damaging the animals鈥� coats at the last property, and they were left with burrs and knots. In Tappen, Chapman said they can handle landscaping and weed control much more easily.
To celebrate their new home and welcome visitors back to hang out with the llamas, the sanctuary is hosting a reopening event and fundraiser. Interested visitors must book a reservation ahead of time for the May 6 or 7 event, beginning at 2 p.m. both days. Admission is $20 per adult and reservations can be made through Facebook messenger, or by calling
鈥淎lthough it鈥檚 very crude beginnings, the llamas are the main feature, and they miss the attention.鈥�
Chapman is also excited to have Wi-Fi hooked up as of May 2, and promises more online updates and llama photos to come.
The sanctuary鈥檚 last move cost around $26,000, and Chapman said he and Milsom didn鈥檛 expect to have to move twice. He said he鈥檚 spent around $5,000 on fencing materials already, so any financial aid is welcome. Donations can be made at .
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rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
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