Alpaca Brothers Find Trail To Salisbury Care Home

A pair of alpacas proved a hit with residents at a Salisbury nursing and residential care home.

Oliver, aged three, and one-year-old little brother Jimmy were special guests on a visit to Colten Care’s Braemar Lodge in Stratford Road.

Under the careful supervision of handler Wendy Williams from Shaftesbury-based Alpaca Adventure, the pair met residents in the garden, lounge and even through a bedroom window.

One resident, Margaret Downing, wore a blue alpaca wool scarf bought on a holiday in Peru. It attracted some close attention, particularly from Jimmy amid much laughter all round.

Fellow resident Barbara Ryrie said: “They are beautiful creatures, really lovely to see face to face and with amazing coats.”

Speaking to residents, Wendy explained that alpacas have three stomachs, are one of the camelid species, closely related to the llama, and hail from high altitudes in South America.

As well as scarves, she said their wool is typically made into carpets, dresses, duvets, pillow cases and is even suitable as roof insulation material.

Being quite large, alpacas are used on some farms to protect flocks of sheep from the attention of foxes.

Sylvie Rodulson, Braemar Lodge Activities Organiser, said: “Oliver and Jimmy were popular guests who behaved themselves very well in our home and are welcome back any time. Our residents loved meeting them.”