Three South American camelids can be seen in the walk-through enclosure
Three alpacas can now be seen at the Vivarium Zoo in Darmstadt. The South American camelids are returning after about 50 years – they were already kept and bred at the Vivarium back then. Three females now live in the former walk-through kangaroo enclosure . Two of them come from the Kleve Zoo, and the third from a private owner.
The return of the alpacas stems from a frequently expressed wish of children who regularly visit the zoo with the association for children with cancer and chronic illnesses in Darmstadt
Alpacas were bred from vicuñas around 6,000 years and were highly valued by the Incas – a coat made of alpaca wool was considered a sign of wealth. Today, several million of these animals live worldwide, primarily in Peru, but increasingly also in Europe – often kept as private pets.
At the Vivarium Zoo , wild forms (vicunja) and domestic forms (alpaca) can now be directly compared.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/dk)
