Llamas and alpacas are kept globally for fibre production, with growing demand for alpaca wool as a luxury alternative. Understanding their welfare needs ensures the growing industry develops on a welfare-positive basis.
Alpaca and llama welfare requires attention to species-specific needs that differ from traditional livestock. Alpacas are prey animals with strong flight responses making handling procedures including shearing inherently stressful. Skilled handlers who use low-stress techniques and appropriate restraint reduce but cannot eliminate shearing stress. Post-shearing temperature management is critical as alpacas regulate temperature poorly after fibre removal. Social isolation for individual procedures causes acute stress in herd animals. The rapid global expansion of alpaca farming driven by luxury fibre demand increases risk of inadequate husbandry by inexperienced keepers. Developing welfare standards appropriate to these species and communicating them to a growing keeper population represents a proactive welfare challenge.