Alpaca Behavior: Cria Bonding & Imprinting

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Appropriate Alpaca Behavior	Print this page Email to a friend

Alpacas should act like alpacas. Owners need to be careful about the new born cria bonding with themselves instead of their mother. As I have said before less is better. A good shepherd does not pet, hug or hold the cria. This can lead to the cria imprinting on the owner. If this happens the alpaca will treat the owner like an alpaca when it is older. If that happens you can expect to be spit on, bred and abused by a cria (male or female) who has been mishandled and grown to maturity thinking that you are an alpaca! This is known as berserk alpaca behavior.
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