Alpaca History

Camelids are believed to have originated in North America about 20-40 million years ago. Fossil evidence points to large numbers of these animals coexisting during prehistoric times. During the course of geological evolution, land mass changes, glacial movements and nature itself these original camelids began migrating. Some, the larger species now known as the Bacterian camels found their way to Asia, India and Africa. The others, after years of migration settled on the South American continent. These we have come to know as the wild guanaco and vicuna. It is from the guanaco and vicunas, which evolved our domesticated species of llamas and alpacas.

From a more modern historical perspective, during the early 1400's, the Inca civilization of South America had become one of the largest and richest empires in all the Americas. The empire occupied the region along the western coast of South America, including Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chili and Argentina. The way of life of these Inca peoples was fascinating, advanced, and very skilled in engineering and craft production. They had complex road systems, a very organized political government and beautiful work of art, especially pottery and textiles. Religion played a very important role in both public and private lives of the Inca.

The Inca civilization had a very integrated and connected relationship with alpacas. Their culture was dependent on the usefulness, fiber and meat of both llamas and alpacas. The Incas developed a great understanding of the care and breeding practices of these animals and over the years the domestication of alpacas grew into great herds. Through diligent breeding by the Andean people alpacas have evolved to produce the worlds finest fiber. Thus the term "The Gold of the Andes."

This great Inca civilization flourished for over 150 years. In the mid 1500's civil war broke out within the empire between rival groups. The empire was severely weakened by this civil war. So when the Spanish conquerors came to South America in 1532 the Incas had lost much of their organizational unity and leadership. The Spanish ambushed and defeated most of the army and easily took over the empire of the Inca. During this period the Spanish also annihilated much of the entire alpaca population, thinking they were useless animals only to compete for grazing land of their own sheep and cattle, which they had brought with them. It wasn't long before alpacas were on the verge of extinction after this Spanish conquest.

Although the Spanish tried to wipe out all the Inca customs, some of the Indians in the highlands have endured and preserved Inca tradition and cultural practices, including the preservation of small alpaca herds.

During the early 1800's Peru once again began production and export of alpaca fiber to accommodate the industrial textile industry throughout Europe and especially England. These English industrialists soon began specializing in high-quality alpaca cloth.

Only in the past 20 years, since the early 1980's, have alpacas moved beyond South American borders. They can now be seen in pastures throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand, the European continent and in Japan. While the numbers of animals in these new homelands are on the rise, they are but a drop in the bucket compared to those in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Now is a very exciting time for the alpaca industry, as we are locally as well as globally structuring a new market/base fiber textile industry. The need for modern sustainable agricultural practices which are economically and environmentally sound are urgent everywhere. The alpaca industry/market fits that niche perfectly.