Alpacas
June 2023
Out of Sight Alpacas
There are only two kinds of people in this world: cat people and dog people. While those two groups will never be able to understand each other, at least they can agree on one thing: alpacas rule. It’s true – we’ve never met an alpaca we didn’t like. The clients in Long Branch agree emphatically – which is why they recently took a trip to the Out of Sight Alpacas petting farm in Waretown, NJ.
Like all great tour groups, the clients did some research before venturing out to the farm. During their research they learned that being around animals and nature comes with many benefits, such as being a source of relaxation and reducing stress and anxiety. They also discovered that being in nature impacts mental and emotional wellbeing and can be a healthy distraction from problems.
When they arrived, the first creatures to greet them at the farm were the emus and alpacas. While the emu is the second largest bird in the world and resembles something like a half ostrich-half dinosaur, an alpaca is a cuter, fluffier cousin of a llama. The group was given bags of food pellets to feed the alpacas in order to gain their trust. Note: if you want to make friends, give away free food. It worked.
Animals at the farm
- Goats
- Alpacas
- Chinchilla Rabbits
- KuneKune Pigs
- Cows
- Emus
Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. That’s the problem.
A.A. Milne
The clients recalled, “As the alpacas began chowing down on some pellets, we felt the tickles in the palms of our hand, which resulted in laughs from everyone.”
The next stop was visiting the KuneKune pigs (pronounced “koo-nee koo-nee”). The other definitive way to make friends aside from sharing free food is to give a belly rub (this was suggested by the tour guide – don’t try this with strangers). Again, like magic, it worked – the pigs responded with some of their cutest oinks, which also resulted in the quote of the day from our client Geoff – “By rubbing their bellies, we found our zen!”. Ah, if only we had baby KuneKune pigs by our sides at all times.
The last stop at the farm were the chinchilla rabbits and the frizzle chickens – both of which are rare treats compared to the average farm. If you’ve never seen frizzle chickens, please look them up – they look like chickens dressed in their finest gowns on their way to Cinderella’s ball. As for the rabbits, the clients gave them fresh lettuce to feed on and loved watching the rabbits nibble away.
By the time everyone left the farm, they were refreshed and renewed from their day outside with the animals. In the car ride home, they all agreed that they felt fulfilled and happy – which is quite the accomplishment after a day of therapy. But in case the clients feel tired tomorrow morning, they can follow some advice from their new alpaca friends: how does an alpaca get up in the morning? They set their allamas.
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