Alpacas are members of the camelid family, and are
related to the llama, guanaco, vicuna, and dromedary and Bactrian camels. They
are native to the mountains of Peru, Bolivia & Chile (the Altiplano).
In the ancient Incan culture, alpacas were cherished
treasures and their luxurious fiber was reserved for royalty.
Alpacas were first imported to the United States in 1984. Currently
there are about
100,000 alpacas in the US. Imports are no longer allowed.