Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Engaging Alpacas
On average, our alpacas do a pretty good job of ignoring me and going about the business of grazing. They are rather excited about sweet feed and new hay, of course, but it doesn't seem they're really dancing in celebration of my food-procuring abilities.
There are times that our alpacas engage me on a personal level, though, and that's always an interesting experience. I say it's interesting because they seem to be on a completely different mental plane. With dogs, you know where you stand fairly well...after all, they are one of the oldest animal relationships humanity enjoys, and they are by nature pack predators (ergo possess that problem-solving intelligence us predators share). To an alpaca, however, such simple procedures as poop-scooping are a mystical experience. If I keep at it long enough, eventually most of the alpacas will come and stare at me and the rake with a sort of aimless curiosity. Similarly, a new feature to a field is thoroughly sniffed, taken as an opportunity for new games, and eventually accepted and ignored.
It's a bit difficult for me not to anthropomorphize this experience, imagining the alpacas displaying human curiosity and playing human games. I think it's just as much a mistake to assume they are playing thorugh some predetermined psychological process, however.
Really, I think that's a big part of the fun of raising animals of any sort, and especially animals of as removed a mindset as alpacas. What is it that ties us, as living creatures? What games do we enjoy playing? How do we relate to eachother, and what is the content of the character of that relationship? Ultimatly, this too is an aimless curiosity, done for the fun of pondering with no intention of answering with finality.
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2 comments:
I have two geldings, and yes, their brains do work differently than any animal I've ever had. I can almost see little cartoon balloons with question marks floating above their heads, as I pet the two sheep who share their pasture. My boys are pretty skittish.
By any chance, did you come up to Bellingham for the camelid seminar weekend before last? It was at JNK Llamas.
We weren't aware of the camelid seminar, unfortunately. Sounds like fun!
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