Alpacas and llamas are kept for fibre and agritourism with welfare needs around social housing, handling, and species-appropriate enrichment.
Alpaca and llama welfare is shaped by their nature as prey animals with strong flight responses and complex social needs. Agritourism use can be welfare-positive with proper management or welfare-negative when handling demands exceed animal tolerance. Shearing welfare depends on handler skill and restraint quality. As the global industry grows outside traditional ranges, establishing welfare standards appropriate to semi-domesticated camelids is increasingly important.