1. Alpacas originate from South America and are bred from the wild Vicuna, which is now a rare and protected species.
2. They are in the camelid family, which Includes Llamas and the Asian camel.
3. Domesticated for around 6000-7000 years, alpacas have played an important role in the survival and economy of the Andean people in South America.
4. The value of alpaca was recognised as early as the 14th Century, when the Incas in South America used alpacas and Llamas for food, fuel, clothing, transportation and religious ceremony.
5. Alpacas were considered so important to the survival of the indigenous people they were tightly controlled by the government.
6. Alpacas thrived under this rule with number swelling to 50 million animals.
7. Only Incan royalty were allowed to wear alpaca.
8. The decline of alpacas began in 1532 when the Spanish invaded South America and alpacas were pushed towards the Andes – 90% of the alpaca population died out.
9. Llamas and alpacas were left to interbreed and changed from a single-coated animal to the two-coated animal of today.
10. Breeding programs of today are aimed at improving the quality of alpaca to back to where it was some 500 years ago, prior to the Spanish conquest.