Wildlife of Corvallis: The Llama

The Willamette valley of Oregon is, geographically speaking, the northernmost reach of the greater Bolivian Altiplano. As such it is home to the Desert Jaguar, the Flamingo, the Northern Capybara, and of course the deadly Llama.

In the mid- to late northern summer, the llama flocks begin to arrive from the southern parts of their habitat, to lay their eggs and feast on the abundant ripe blackberries. Here is a young hatchling, or llambkin, spotted in a nearby field:



Despite their majestic beauty, the llamas are considered pests in the valley. Farmers spray for them at the start of blackberry season, and homeowners employ netting on their chimneys to avert the nuisance of cleaning up sooty llama prints between the fireplace and kitchen every morning.