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You are here:  Home  »  Animals  »  Photos: Alpaca Shearing

Photos: Alpaca Shearing

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June 29, 2005 - Director of Animal Programs, Jay Tetzloff, along with Animal Care Specialists Cassandra Hart and Julianne Ferrie corral the Zoo's three alpaca while outside contractor, Larry Bramstedt (white shirt), prepares to shear.
Tetzloff, Hart and Ferrie place a towel over the alpacas head to calm it down.
Bramstedt begins to shear as Cassandra and Julianne keep the animal still and calm.

Shearing will remove 15 to 25 pounds of fiber from a single alpaca.
Heat stress can be an issue; in order to avoid it, our Animal Care staff make sure the alpaca spend the hottest part of the year with little else than a one inch layer of fiber.
Tetzloff and Ferrie hold the second of three alpaca to be sheared.

After the male (black & white) had been sheared, the two females (both black) were very intrigued by the pile of fiber left behind.
One female watches as another is sheared.