Alpaca Fiber - A Brief History

 Alpacas have coexisted with humankind for thousands of years. The Incan civilization of the Andes Mountains in Peru elevated the alpaca to a central place in their society. The imperial Incas clothed themselves in garments made from alpaca and many of their religious ceremonies involved the animal. Museums throughout the Americas display textiles made from alpaca fiber.

 The Spanish conquistadors failed to see the value of alpaca fiber, preferring the merino sheep of their native Spain. For a time, alpaca fiber was a well-kept secret. In the middle 1800's, Sir Titus Salt of London, England rediscovered alpaca. The newly industrialized English textile industry was at its zenith when Sir Titus began studying the unique properties of alpaca fleece. He discovered, for instance, that alpaca fiber was stronger than sheep's wool and that its strength did not diminish with fineness of staple. The alpaca textiles he fashioned from the raw fleece were soft, lustrous, and they soon began making their mark across Europe. Today, the center of the alpaca textile industry is in Arequipa, Peru; yarn and other products made from alpaca are sold primarily in Japan and Europe.

 Outside of their native South America, the number of alpacas found in other countries is extremely limited. In fact, 99 percent of the world's approximately three million alpacas are found in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.

At Chatham Alpacas we believe in
Breeding for the future...
     Savoring the Moment.

Please feel free to contact us to learn more about our animals and
"the alpaca lifestyle".

Judith & Jeffrey Zimbalist
29 Sullivan Road
Chatham Center, New York 12184
(518) 392-1124 or (917) 373-8822
Email: chathamalpacas@nyc.rr.com

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This information was obtained from the Alpaca owners and Breeders Association website (AOBA) edited for content by Judith Zimbalist, Chatham Alpacas