Colorado Rounds Up 15 Abandoned Llamas That Were Scaring Hikers and Horses

Fifteen abandoned llamas are in good shape after being rounded up on the Uncompahgre Plateau, a Bureau of Land Management spokesman said.
The herd had been living in the backcountry for about a year, scaring hikers and horseback riders with some aggressive behavior.
A BLM crew captured the animals Monday. Agency spokesman Steve Hall said the llamas likely were abandoned when prices for the creatures bottomed out. The sturdy pack animals that originally hail from South America are used in backcountry treks and produce fine wool.

The animals once were worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars but now might sell for $50.
Hall said the animals that were captured included a pregnant llama and that all were in good shape. They will be held at a llama farm in Montrose, he said. If no one claims them, they will be placed in a llama sanctuary near Grand Junction


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