The Alpaca is the lord of the Peruvian Andes and is a member of the camel family. There are more than four million alpacas in Peru, and the majority resides at 3000-5000 meters above sea level in the Andes of southern Peru.

The alpaca lives in a very harsh climate, where the temperature can fluctuate up to 50 degrees Celsius within 24 hours – from minus 25 degrees at night to 25 degrees during the day.

The alpaca is usually 1,20m to 1,50m in height, and weighs between 45kg and 79kg. It has a smaller and more curved profile than the llama and has a distinguishing fringe of hair on its forehead.

There are two varieties of the alpaca:

The Huacaya and the Suri. The Huacaya is the more numerous types in Peru, and has relatively short fibre which is dense, curly and voluminous. The Suri has long, straight hair which is silky and exceptionally lustrous.

**Baby alpaca wool is extra fine and soft and primarily comes from the first cut of the alpacas, when they are about 2½ years old.

Alpacas are shorn with knives or shears, usually once a year between November and April.