Over the past 15 years in the UK, the alpaca has progressed from being recognised only as a 'push-me-pull-you' animal behind a zoo fence, to enjoying a level of popularity where most people can name a field near them with a few resident camelids. Originating from high altitudes on the Altiplano in South America, the alpaca's residence in the UK is akin to a luxury resort stay with lush pastures, a lack of predators and first-world veterinary care. The first alpacas imported into the UK outside of zoo stock came in around 1996; now they number some 35,000 living in herds of various sizes, and can be found from the tip of Scotland down to Cornwall.
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