10/16/2025
I got home from work today about 6:00 p.m. and drove up to the girls' gate to let them out for a bit.
Chantilli immediately took off running to the front of the property. The others followed her a little ways and then stopped to watch what Chantilli was running to. When the alpacas are paying attention to something, I pay attention to it also.
I could see something in the field but I couldn't tell what it was. Chantilli stopped about 30 ft before she got to it. She was on high alert. I thought it was just a box with some packaging sticking out of it that had blown out there. But still, the alpacas were frozen in place watching it intently.
Still in the truck, I thought, "Well if it's trash, I need to pick it up so I might as well drive out there." As I got closer I could see that it was moving. For a moment I thought it was an injured dog.
So I pulled in between the mysterious creature and Chantilli and that's when I finally got a good look at it. I immediately turned back to Chantilli, rolled down the window and pointed towards the back of the property and said firmly "Go"! She looked at me for a moment, then the creature, and then turned and ran back the way she came, leading the others away with her. First time they ever did what I told them to do without question! 🤣
I snapped the shot below and then followed the alpacas a little way, honking a couple of times to encourage them to move farther away.
It wasn't afraid of me, but I wasn't about to get out of my truck and try to pet it either! I parked and went into the house and watched it from my front porch for a while.
Very slowly, it made its way into some brush near the pond and disappeared. I sure hope he was just out searching for food to prepare for the winter ahead.