7/11/2003: Vicunas

Undertoad • Jul 11, 2003 1:58 pm

These are vicunas, in a corral in Peru.

Turns out they are raised by Peruvians for their wool. For years they were endangered, as vicuna wool became trendy for a while. It's used to create the most expensive fabric in the world: super light, super warm, and super expensive. The wool is finer than cashmere. Poachers relentlessly bagged the animals for ages, then the Peruvian government stepped in and said no more of this and set up a program to save them. For a while the fabric was banned outright; now the animals are thriving as livestock and the fabric is back on the market.

Why do they produce the finest wool? Because they adapted to the high elevations of the Andes, so they needed a really warm coat.

linknoid • Jul 11, 2003 3:28 pm

But what do they look like? All you can see are their heads, not their bodies. Their heads do look unlike any animal I've seen before, but I wish we could at least see one in full.

Undertoad • Jul 11, 2003 4:16 pm

I actually had this one before and forgot to post it!

xoxoxoBruce • Jul 11, 2003 5:44 pm

I would imagine that farming them instead of poaching means shearing yearly instead of shooting ad shearing once.

Elspode • Jul 11, 2003 9:56 pm

They're sort of like skinny llamas.

Odd_Bloke • Jul 12, 2003 10:51 am

Originally posted by Elspode
They're sort of like skinny llamas.

That's exactly what I was thinking. :p

bjlhct • Jul 12, 2003 2:46 pm

I want one!

blase • Jul 13, 2003 12:08 am

See my vest, see my vest!
made of real gorilla chest!

Slithy_Tove • Jul 13, 2003 12:25 am

Their heads do look unlike any animal I've seen before [...]

They look like camels' heads to me, which isn't surprising, because vicunas, alpacas, llamas, and camels are all related.

No, wait, llamas are different, they're more related to aimbot users and wall hackers. Oh, I'm so confused.

xoxoxoBruce • Jul 13, 2003 3:14 am

No, wait, llamas are different, they're more related to aimbot users and wall hackers. Oh, I'm so confused.

You may be the next J.K. Rowling. :D

modernhamlet • Jul 13, 2003 3:26 pm

I wonder if their fur is anything like alpaca. I have an alpaca wool rug. It is nothing short of wonderful. Thick, soft, warm. Mmm...

Leus • Jul 14, 2003 4:53 pm

Originally posted by modernhamlet
I wonder if their fur is anything like alpaca. I have an alpaca wool rug. It is nothing short of wonderful. Thick, soft, warm. Mmm...

Yup, pretty close to alpaca.

Another thing that Vicuñas (yep, that's the correct spelling), Guanacos and Llamas have in common is the fact they like to spit on people :D