Putting the Alpacas First
At Lydford Gorge Alpacas, the boys always come first. Their welfare, comfort and happiness matter more than squeezing in extra bookings or pushing them beyond what feels right.
Everything here is designed around the animals as individuals, and that is a big part of why the experiences feel so calm, personal and special.
What that means in practice
For me, good welfare is not just about food, shelter and routine care, although of course those things matter hugely. It is also about listening to the animals, respecting their different personalities and making decisions that put their wellbeing ahead of business convenience.
That means treks are carefully managed so no boy is overused. We trek three times a week and have 14 boys in the trekking team, which allows me to rotate them and keep things fair.
It also means our alpaca encounters are run with the animals in mind. The boys are never expected to approach guests or tolerate interaction they do not want.
The encounter takes place in a large 1.5 acre space, giving them plenty of choice and room to move away if they wish. Guests meet the alpacas on the boys’ terms, not the other way round.
Every alpaca is treated as an individual
Each alpaca here has his own personality, confidence level and preferences. Some are bold, some are gentle, some are gloriously dramatic and some like life at a quieter pace. I do not expect them all to behave the same way, and I do not treat them as interchangeable.
Getting to know the boys as individuals is one of the most important parts of caring for them well. It is also part of what makes visits here feel so genuine.
Not every alpaca enjoys the same job. If one of the boys is happier staying on the farm rather than trekking, that is absolutely fine by me. I would always rather adapt the experience than push an animal into something that does not suit him.
What guests often notice
Many guests comment on how relaxed, confident and well cared for the alpacas seem. Some have even said they chose Lydford Gorge Alpacas specifically because of the standard of welfare they could see, both online and in person.
That matters to me enormously, because it means the calm, respectful approach behind the scenes is visible to the people who visit.
“What was so lovely was they chose to come over and see us, rather than be made to.”
Trip
“We could see she only did visits once a day and that is why we picked her, and indeed she puts her alpacas first!”
Sebastian B
“It was clear from the start that Helen cares and looks after all her animals well. This really enhanced the experience for us.”
E Bond
The Paca Principles
A slightly tongue-in-cheek version of the rules the boys would write themselves.
Guests love reading our Paca Principles at the farm. They are a playful way of explaining something very real: the alpacas’ welfare always comes first.