Wooly Creatures at The Alpaca Loom Farm

Ever want to see me scream and run away while three wooly animals start charting after you because it was running in all directions from a barking dog? Then attempting to feed the Alpacas at Alpaca Loom Farm out in Paarl is the way to go to get that reaction from me again. 

A month and a half ago on a warm yet cold Sunday afternoon, we drove to the farm that was up a wine embankment and yes, it had a gravel path. Once parked and ready to get my animal dance going, I could see from the fence how big in size they really were; nothing in comparison I had thought they would be.

They were literally my height. I wanted to cry and hide.

The Alpaca Loom Farm

This establishment is a petting zoo with not only hundreds of Alpacas roaming around the farm, but Llamas, Camels and a poor Donkey who didn’t seem to be liked by the Alpaca herd. At The Alpaca Loom Farm, they produce an array of woven scarves, shawls, blankets and rugs using the beautiful range of natural colours that their alpacas grow.

You have the option to feed some of the Alpacas for only R10.00 (there’s no entry fee) or, go on an hour-long tour for R60.00 allowing you to meet the resident alpaca herd and learn more about the alpacas, its fiber and the processing from fiber to fabric.

It has a great coffee shop where you can relax after the experience I had and sip on some freshly brewed coffee while indulging in their incredible carrot cake.

The best I had so far. Sorry, Mom!

My Hilarious Encounter

When you enter the playground where three very uninterested Alpacas roam along with a few ducks, I started panicking! We were told that because we came so late in the afternoon, those three furry animals were no longer hungry so it would be best to feed the ones behind the fence.

Courtney and I with our feeding bowls in our hand made our way to feed them and I experienced my first figuratively speaking heart attack! I simply couldn’t do it even though they were safely behind bob wire. Courtney burst out of laughter repeating that I wanted to be here yet I’m running away. He walked straight up to one calm alpaca, fed it and combed his hand through his wooly fur. Me on the other hand, you can see my reaction in the below image!

That was my reaction all afternoon.

Some alpacas were wild while the one present in the image was calm and collected. The minute you walk towards the fence with your feeding, they approach you like wildfire. Eventually, I started warming up to the idea that they not out to attack me and combed their fur. Five minutes of just staring at them and laughing myself to death, I turned around to see those three uninterested alpacas run in my direction and I ran screaming in another. Courtney was on the lawn laughing and crying all at once!

Interestingly though, the farm also has Camels on the property. I stood from afar admiring the creature and Courtney got excited and began feeding them with the last feed we had.

After a rough ordeal, we indulged in some coffee and cake while watching other people take their fair share of trying to entertain those lazy three. Instead, we were amused by how sweet the llamas and alpacas are but they won’t hesitate to spit at you as they did with a couple.

They not out to spit at humans, of course. llamas and alpacas spit for several reasons. A female uses this behaviour to tell a male she’s not interested in his advances, and both genders use it to keep competitors away from food. Spitting is also used to warn an aggressor away – this we learned while watching them graze.

If you would like to pay them a visit, read everything you need to know on their website.

They open daily from Monday to Sunday: 10:00 am – 18:00 pm.

Until the next adventure.