Yesterday, we lost one of our most beautiful alpacas, 15-year-old Zelda. She was just beginning surgery to remove a large lump that we had discovered after shearing. Sadly, she went into cardiac arrest, and our vet was unable to revive her. To say her death has been a shock is an understatement, but we hope to have some closure soon when the autopsy is finished.
Many visitors were delighted by her name and thought we named her for “the Legendary Zelda.” In fact, she was named for a special lady, Zelda Wapner (legendary in her own right). Our Zelda’s mother was Chanel #5, who some of you remember for her sweet disposition. Zelda could be feisty with us, and usually aloof. We joked with visitors that she was our “antisocial teenager.” Morning tours usually saw her on the mound in the girls’ pen, sitting in the hay and chewing her cud. Zelda would never come over to participate in tours before noon. I used to joke that she wasn’t a morning girl and that she needed her coffee off to herself! But when she did finally venture into a tour, she was calm and gentle (and also a bit picky about her carrots!). She was the ideal choice for visitors who were hesitant or frightened by large animals. I remember a young boy who had been bitten by a dog when he was very young. Understandably, he was frightened by the alpacas, but his parents were trying to help him overcome his fears. Zelda came into the pen with him, and the boy was able to relax and enjoy her calm presence. It was a very rewarding tour for us, but the best part was when we received in the mail a thank-you drawing of Zelda from that young man. She was a special alpaca …we miss her and hope she is grazing green pastures with her mother, Chanel. 💔 🌈🦙 Please feel free to share any photos or special memories of Zelda in the comments. ❤️
