MEETING Pearl and Gayle, the first thing you notice are their big brown eyes which peer at you from beneath lovely long eyelashes… and then their soft woolly coats.
Pearl and Gayle are alpacas who regularly go walking with visitors to their Teesdale home under the guidance of owner Doug Steen.
Teesdale Alpacas are based a mile from Bowes, and have been proving a popular attraction for visitors to the dale for the past several years. Visitors spend time with the animals and take them trekking through the counryside.
“The alpacas are perfect animals to take on walks as they are happy to be around the public most of the time,” said Mr Steen. “We have a couple that are particularly great with young children.”
Pearl and Gayle exude friendliness and lend a feeling of calmness to the proceedings. They have a soft muzzle and a soft fleece and seem to enjoy a tentative pat from an admiring handler.
Doug comes with me as I take them for a short walk through the farm. It’s peaceful and satisfying and it feels mentally beneficial and this is something which many people have described, according to Mr Steen.
“We don’t use it as a marketing tactic as such, but many people have said the animals have calming and relaxing effects. We like to think being around these animals is good for everyone’s mental health.”
As well as offering trekking, Mr Steen and his wife Samantha also run a breeding operation for alpacas and a small number of llamas. They also sell hats and scarves made from the animals’ fleeces.
The business began with no “big plan” , Mr Steen said.
“At the time (2007) we had some land and we thought it sounded like a good idea [to get] five male llamas, and then we got some females.
“After we started breeding them, we decided to use the wool to make products. We then stumbled on the idea of doing the treks. It’s hard work managing all the health and safety, but it’s worth it.
“We open from March to October because of the weather and we focus on weekends for visits.”
What about the reputation the animals have for spitting? It’s a common belief that alpacas and llamas spit as a defence mechanism. It is not commonplace, as Mr Steen explained: “In all the years we’ve done this, we’ve maybe had an animal spit once or twice. We try to prevent any situations where an animal would feel threatened enough to do this. We keep the line between humans and animals very clear and that prevents most issues.
“We don’t raise them as pets, but we do have some that are more friendly than others and when we have young children here, we focus on those in particular.”
Mr Steen has eight llamas and 50 alpacas grazing outside his house. He is often asked for the animals to attend weddings and parties as a feature of interest for guests.
Recently there have been new additions at the farm with the birth of crias (baby alpacas) which have been a big hit with visitors.
For details or to book a visit: teesdale-alpacas.co.uk.
