Losing a Herd Member
One evening earlier this month, I noticed our Llama Beau making an odd snoring sound. I had been in the field earlier that day and he had been acting normally – eating, alert, social, and keeping watch over the herd as he always has.
Alpacas & Llamas are herd animals and, as such, tend to be very stoic and not show they are sick or injured. Why is this? For the overall survival of the herd, herd animals tend to leave their sick and injured animals behind, so they have evolved to hide ailments and injuries. Because herd animals rarely complain, by the time they show they aren’t feeling well the situation is typically serious. Because of this, I keep a very close eye on our herd, paying attention even to subtle changes. Sometimes the clues that something is amiss are as subtle as being slightly less enthusiastic about treats or slower to greet me at the field gate. In Beau’s case, he showed no symptoms other than the snoring, but I checked his vitals anyway ~ respiration, heart rate, temperature, CRT, palpated his belly, and even checked his stool to see if I could find a clue about what was going on. All signs were normal other than the snoring sound. Because Beau was older though, I decided to take him to the University of Georgia Veterinary Hospital. The doctors are so skilled and I am so thankful for them.
By the time we arrived at UGA, Beau had declined rapidly. Upon arrival, the doctors went into swift action, checking vitals, getting fluids going, and working to determine what was going on. They used a bronchoscope to check his airway and determined there was a mass pressing on his trachea making it difficult to breath, thus the snoring sound. It was also found Beau had numerous masses and he was unlikely to survive any intervention we might attempt. In sitting with Beau and seeing him suffering so, I made a very tough decision. Beau passed peacefully with his head cradled on my shoulder and, as he left this world, I told him "I love you" one last time. I am honored to have been able to give Beau a safe and happy retirement home. Even in my sadness, I smile when I think about his regal presence and his big dark eyes, shining like black marbles.
The outpouring of support from our friends, family, prior Airbnb guests, and social media followers has been heartwarming and helpful during a sad time. It is comforting to know so many people literally from around the world have come to know and love our adopted and rescued herd! Y’all are the absolute best!
When a herd member dies, there is the obvious human sadness, but it is also important to keep the rest of the herd in mind. Anytime the dynamics of the herd are changed, as with a new herd member being introduced or, in this case, a herd member dying, there is a period of adjustment and reorganization. Many Alpacas and Llamas will visibly mourn the death of a fellow herd member, so giving the remaining herd some extra attention and care is needed. Because we have historically adopted and rescued older animals, we have lost several herd members over the years. Each time we’ve lost a herd member, I keep an even closer eye on the rest of the herd over the next month or so. When we lost our first herd member years ago, I took some fiber clipped from the herd member we lost and went to each animal in turn, talking to them about the herd member we lost, allowing them to smell the fiber in my hand. In this case, I went to Zeke, Skyboy Blue, Loverboy, Dallas, and Mr. Bingley one by one and told them “Beau has died and I’m really sad about it. I think you may be sad too, so I want to tell you it is okay to be sad and remind you how loved you are.” I held Beau’s fiber out and let each sniff it. After a week or so of doing this each day, the herd seemed to reconcile Beau’s death, adjusting to the new herd dynamic. Still, I keep an eye on them because we all grieve in our own time.
Because Beau was our herd’s alpha member, I am also curious about who will emerge as the new alpha. Beau was such a gentleman alpha, never heavy handed, and always watchful. He was a guardian and protector, keeping an eye out for possible danger to the herd. Of course, the herd is well protected with a 6’ fence surrounding them, but he watched all the same. Our Guests often commented that they could see him watching as they visited with the herd, a friendly guardian keeping a watchful eye on his herd. In Beau’s early days with our herd just as he emerged as the herd’s alpha, he once made his alert sound and I tried to figure out what had prompted him to alert. As it turns out, he was alerting because he heard the sound of a train rolling along the tracks in the distance, “Chug a chug a chug a.” I chuckled and knew he would soon get used to the new sights and sounds at the Decatur Alpaca Cottage. Curious to hear a Llama alert sounds? Click here to watch a YouTube video of a Llama on another farm who alerted when some builders arrived nearby. In all the years of owning a herd, I have only herd them alert a handful of times and that was Beau’s one and only alert in all his time here because he knew his herd was safe.
As the herd and I continue to grieve the loss of Beau, they will reorganize the dynamics of the herd and, eventually, one member will emerge as alpha. This takes some time and I am curious who it will be. I’ll keep y’all posted, so stay tuned and if you’re not already following the Decatur Alpaca Cottage on social media, we’re on Facebook, Instagram, and even Tik Tok.
If you’re interested in learning about other herd members who have crossed the rainbow bridge and are a part of our “Angel Herd”, click here.