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The history of the alpaca is lost in antiquity. The indegenious people have been tending herds of alpacas for thousands of years. Scraps of fabric made from alpaca have been found by archeologists in ancient Inca tombs among the peaks of the high Andes. The finest alpaca wool was reserved for use by the royalty of the Incan empire. Even after the Spanish conquest alpacas were recognized as legal tender by the native population. The Spanish who conquered the Inca empire decimated the native herds of alpacas and llamas. The gentle alpacas were largely replaced by sheep, which produced a product for export back to Spain. (By some estimates, as many as 90% of the alpacas were slaughtered at this time). There is evidence that the native herds of alpacas and llamas were allowed to interbreed, with a subsequent deterioration of the fiber quality of the alpaca. Archeologists have found fabric made from alpaca fiber that was much finer than any produced today. Alpacas lived in relative obscurity until the middle 1800’s when the sterling qualities of alpaca fleece were rediscovered by Titus Salt. New textile techniques were developed in England in order to produce yarns and fabric from the alpaca. In 1984, the United States and Canada imported their first alpacas, followed by Australia and New Zealand in 1989. These countries with their temperate climates and more sophisticated animal husbandry techniques, have proven beneficial for the species. In 1991 breeders formed the Alpaca Owner and Breeders Association (AOBA) in order to pool resources and market these remarkable animals. Membership of AOBA has increased markedly each year since, as new breeders enter the industry. As we enter the new millenium there are over 2000 members in AOBA. The Alpaca Registry, Inc. (ARI) was formed in 1989 and is equipped to maintain a state of the art registry of pedigree for all alpacas in the United States. Parentage of alpacas is confirmed through blood type and DNA tracking. It is estimated that over 95 % of the over 30,000 alpacas in the United States are registered. In the future this will allow for well informed, scientific breeding decisions, as the United States works towards breeding the best alpacas in the world Recognizing that the intrinsic worth of the alpaca lies in its unique and luxurious fleece, at least two efforts have been started to create a domestic alpaca textile industry. The Alpaca Cooperative of North America (AFCNA) founded in 1997, collects the fleece from its members’ and oversees its production into finished alpaca apparel. These products can be purchased at wholesale by the members, or AFCNA will return dividends to its members based on their contributions to the fiber pool. The New England Alpaca Fiber Pool (NEAFP) serves as a liaison between alpaca owners and textile manufacturers. Through NEAFP alpaca owners may submit raw fleece and processing costs and in turn recieve finished alpaca products.
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