The Llama Sanctuary

The Llama Sanctuary The largest Llama & Alpaca rescue in Canada: Educational Tours/handfeeding/handmade crafts/group tours, Family groups/events
Charity #786315069
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The Llama Sanctuary is a not for profit dedicated to caring for homeless, sick and neglected llamas and alpacas. You can view our free online fibre arts tuition videos on YouTube. Sanctuary S0074334

THE WILD ONES - The Inky Tribe, otherwise known as The Wild Ones visited Toes N' Tails Salon recently and at least for P...
05/30/2026

THE WILD ONES - The Inky Tribe, otherwise known as The Wild Ones visited Toes N' Tails Salon recently and at least for Prince and Spud, experienced their first ever haircut. Cocopuff and George are both 'Woollies' and because their coats were so badly felted, previously received a semi-makeover. Cocopuff was very young when he arrived and has been receiving training, so relatively, he was easy to shear. George is the boss and the oldest and he was prepared to face off with his captors. A few scary moments in the catchpen with him, but he too succumbed. The others we were dreading, but once safely restrained in the 'squeeze', they scrubbed up very nicely.

The Inky Tribe was literally roaming wild in southern BC and have been at The Llama Sanctuary for two years. It is very unlikely that they will ever be manageable, which is a shame, since they are gorgeous!

Grateful as we are for the rain, we recommend visitors wear waterproof footwear, as the grass might be a bit damp. The llamas are lined up at the gate waiting for you.

Book Now: https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

DAILY LIFE at The Llama Sanctuary is a series of highs and lows. We welcome newborns ...even if they arrived unannounce...
05/27/2026

DAILY LIFE at The Llama Sanctuary is a series of highs and lows. We welcome newborns ...even if they arrived unannounced and we say goodbye to the those who have completed their innings in this life. Yesterday was another low: Hermes left this world without as much as a wink or a nod. I appreciate that such a swift departure is a good way to go, but it left us with heavy hearts.

Hermes arrived at The Sanctuary in the summer of 2019. A few months previously, he had moved to a new home and ...well it seems he didn't like the idea of sharing that home with horses, so he hopped the fence and ran into the bush. Much to everyone's dismay, he seemed to like browsing the brush along the rail tracks out in the boonies and all attempts to lure and catch him failed. Eventually, a compassionate park ranger made some time for Hermes on his day off and managed to shoot a sedation dart into him. Hermes literally went down on the rail tracks! He wakened at The Sanctuary and there he found a home he loved. Hermes became a magnet for the shy girls and if you wanted to find Hermes, just look for his groupies: including Lilium, Silverbell and Eadie.

A few years ago, Hermes spent a night with his head exposed to freezing rain and he developed pneumonia. One of our wonderful devoted supporters bought Hermes a heated blanket with multiple battery packs and that blanket helped Hermes and has saved a number of lives since.

He was very shy, but we'll miss his very expressive face and floppy lip.

If you would like to sponsor a llama or support this work, visit https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

TODAY IS the 21st Anniversary of The Llama Sanctuary. What started as a single act of compassion for a llama on the loo...
05/23/2026

TODAY IS the 21st Anniversary of The Llama Sanctuary. What started as a single act of compassion for a llama on the loose and who was about to be shot, rapidly, and I do mean RAPIDLY escalated into a full-blown rescue mission for suffering llamas. We asked at the time 'Why? Why are so many llamas being released into the wild, abused or neglected? How long has this been going on?' The answer was most surprising - this is a very recent phenomenon. The story goes that llamas were introduced into Canada in the 1980's and they were selling for $50,000 or $60,000 each and even more. This created a pyramid of greed. Breed llamas to sell. The more you have, the more money you make. But like every such pyramid, at some point it comes crashing down and that event occurred for llamas about 23 years ago.

Originally known as Llamas in the Raw Sanctuary, the name was abbreviated to The Llama Sanctuary around 2014 and today it is the largest dedicated camelid rescue and care centre, presently caring for 67 llamas and alpacas (oh yes, alpacas had their own pyramid !).

The handsome chap in the photo is the original llama 'TomBurke'. This is his legacy and there has never been another quite like him!

Come and celebrate llamas this weekend! Let yourself be wooed and wowed by what is arguably the first domesticated animal in known human history: https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

05/20/2026

ZOOM! You chased the day awa-aay! Who sang that song? Was it The Commodores in the 80's? It feels so appropriate today watching these two skipping across the green pasture.

That was a busy weekend! Lots of visitors, lots of carrots and lots of fun in the sun. And definitely lots of new friends made.

That song will be running through your head for the rest of the day! Funny how that works.

Don't be strangers: https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

PEEGEE FINALLY HAS A PLAYMATE! Pint-sized Harry might only be 2 weeks old and besides 7 month old PeeGee, he truly is a...
05/14/2026

PEEGEE FINALLY HAS A PLAYMATE! Pint-sized Harry might only be 2 weeks old and besides 7 month old PeeGee, he truly is a shrimp, but he can leave her choking on his dust when they race around the paddocks. Finally, she can expend some energy without annoying everyone else in The Refirmary, and she REALLY knows how to annoy!

Did you get that rain yesterday? WHOO that was just what the doctor ordered. Everything is green and fresh today. A perfect opportunity to visit The Llama Sanctuary. And THANK YOU to everyone who shares our posts. We really appreciate this seemingly small act, because it helps to spread the word and spreading the word helps to keep The Sanctuary operating.

See you soon! https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

PADDLING POOL RIGHTS - Someone picked up on a reference to paddling pool rights in our last post. I think this picture...
05/10/2026

PADDLING POOL RIGHTS - Someone picked up on a reference to paddling pool rights in our last post. I think this picture explains it better than any words!

A few cool days on the forecast. A great time to visit The Llama Sanctuary and say hi to newborn Harry!

https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

BIZARRE! The 2026 Spring Llama Races drew a large crowd at the weekend. The main event of the day was the full-size lla...
05/06/2026

BIZARRE! The 2026 Spring Llama Races drew a large crowd at the weekend. The main event of the day was the full-size llama speed trials. Gabriel and Opie gave a stunning performance. In spite of several warnings, spectators chose to sit too close to the crash barrier, which does not necessarily guarantee safety.

Meanwhile Boutique made $28.50 selling popcorn and there were reports that Naomi was running an illicit bookie operation. An investigation is underway and if found to be true, all paddling pool rights will be withdrawn. Alpaca gambling syndication will not be tolerated.

Just a little something to spice up your day!

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

IT'S GEMMY! - nice try everyone! Just looking at the little chap, we would never have guessed the mother. Sherry Kinas...
05/04/2026

IT'S GEMMY! - nice try everyone! Just looking at the little chap, we would never have guessed the mother. Sherry Kinash-Christiansen guessed correctly. The bell around 'Harry's' neck is to give Gemmy a fighting chance of keeping track of his movements. Gemmy was born blind and surrendered to The Llama Sanctuary when she was 3 days old. It seems unreal that Gemmy has been with us almost 10 years. Yes, the birth was completely unexpected. Having hoped she could create a lifelong companion when she was aged four and five. The matings were unsuccessful and we assumed that whatever caused her blindness also made her infertile. Assumption No.1

Gemmy literally made the CBC news two years ago, with a heart-warming tale of alpaca romance she had with Eddie. Eddie's story is too long to tell here, but suffice to say he arrived in the worst condition we have even seen a llama or alpaca in 21 years. Sedation and castration was deemed too risky in his extremely weakened state and his severely crippled legs make even walking difficult. Assumption No.2 It seems Eddie summoned the energy to manage a sneaky liaison with Gemmy ...on her birthday no less!

We have indeed been made 'Asses'! Now we have to work out what to do with Eddie. He can't live with Gemmy, but they both need to be in The Refirmary/ICU. Ho hum, such fun we have each and every day.

Want to meet Harry? Book your visit: https://llamasanctuary.com

WHO ARE YOU!? or should I say WHOSE baby are you? In the last 21 years we've had a lot of surprise births from rescued...
05/02/2026

WHO ARE YOU!? or should I say WHOSE baby are you? In the last 21 years we've had a lot of surprise births from rescued llamas and alpacas, but nothing prepared us for finding this little bundle in the barn yesterday.

Can you guess who the mother is? We certainly couldn't. We had absolutely no idea that a baby might be due or even that such a pregnancy was possible.

It's impossible to predict the colour of offspring with llamas and alpacas, but they usually carry forward markings, which shift around the body with each iteration. This little package of fluff gives zero clues. Can you guess who the mother is? HINT: he's wearing a tiny elastic collar with a bell.

If you're not familiar with all the residents, check out the Sanctuary Resident's Gallery : https://llamasanctuary.com/sanctuary-gallery

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

CHILLING OUT - 6 month old PeeGee is far too energetic for most of the residents of the Refirmary, but Yogi is always r...
04/28/2026

CHILLING OUT - 6 month old PeeGee is far too energetic for most of the residents of the Refirmary, but Yogi is always ready to be her friend. Even with his wonky legs, he's happy to play, to run, to snuggle, to graze and just to hang out with PeeGee. It's a joy to watch. For most of the llamas, having a young boisterous kid in the house is really annoying and PeeGee frequently displays the telltale green spray on her head, indicating another run in with Bella or Moji or Manna.

PeeGee has to stay in The Refirmary for a full year as she receives daily treatment for a deficient immune system, but you wouldn't know there was anything amiss as she runs to the gate to greet visitors.

https://llamasanctuary.com

Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy

Address

9-1315 Tappen Valley Road
Tappen, BC
V0E2X3

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 4pm
Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+12509483675

Website

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