• Alpacas are normally shorn once per year, but sometimes it is less frequent, depending on the animal's health and fibre growth, as well as the climate they live in.^{10, 11, 12.}
• During the shearing process, they are typically pinned to the ground and restrained by ropes and/or humans.¹³ As alpacas are prey animals with a strong flight response as well as very distant animals which need to keep their distance, they suffer severe distress during the shearing process – especially if there is no positive human-animal relationship.^{5,6, 14, 15}
• Due to their keeping systems, they mostly have minimal, or even only negative contact with people, which not only increases their stress during the shearing process, but can also inflict physical pain and injury as they struggle to escape.^13-16 Shearers are often rushed and sometimes careless in their work, leaving alpacas potentially cut and injured.

As with many other species, alpacas are also subjected to painful mutilations such as castration, ear tagging, and teeth removal or trimming, often without anaesthesia or sufficient pain relief:

• Male alpacas are often castrated to manage aggressive behaviour, prevent breeding, or make them easier to handle.¹⁰
  As this is often performed at a young age (before 18-24 months), it can interfere with physical development, leading to joint or skeletal issues. Pain and stress can occur if the procedure is not performed with proper anaesthesia and analgesia as well as postoperative care.^{17, 18}
• Fighting teeth in male alpacas are usually cut off with a surgical wire¹⁰ to prevent injury to other animals during fights. Additionally, alpacas often get their overgrown incisors filed down. However, when those procedures are performed without proper anaesthesia or analgesia, they can cause significant pain and stress. If not performed properly, it may also damage the teeth, which can lead to tooth root abscesses and/or feeding difficulties. Therefore, such procedures should only be carried out when medically necessary and performed by a veterinarian.^{19, 20}

• Most alpacas are kept in the remote highlands of Peru, where smallholders represent the majority of alpaca breeders. A majority of these families live below the poverty line and are therefore commonly unable to provide adequate medical treatment to the animals or supplement their feed during the dry season, when there is insufficient forage for the animals.^{21, 22}
• Inadequate shelter: Poorly designed or ventilated shelters can cause temperature stress (either too hot or too cold) and respiratory issues, affecting alpaca health.
• Overcrowding: Insufficient space can lead to stress, aggression, and health problems, as alpacas need space for movement and socialisation.
• Lack of social interaction: on the other hand, isolating alpacas or keeping them in small groups can lead to loneliness, stress, and behavioural problems, as they are highly social animals and need to be kept in groups. Isolating an alpaca or keeping it alone for extended periods can lead to severe stress, depression, and behavioural problems, such as pacing or excessive vocalisations.¹⁰
• In some commercial operations, alpacas might be housed in small numbers or even isolated for breeding or management purposes, which can significantly decrease their welfare.
• Improper feeding can lead to health problems in alpacas, particularly if their diet lacks sufficient roughage to support digestion. They require increased feed in cold or poorly sheltered conditions.^{23, 24} Due to a strong social hierarchy, lower-ranking alpacas may avoid eating or drinking near dominant animals, increasing the risk of malnutrition and dehydration. Providing enough space and multiple feeding and watering stations helps reduce stress and ensures all animals have access to food and water.¹⁰

• Various abuses are known about the transport some animals have to endure, such as dehydration due to a lack of water supply, diseases, and injuries due to inappropriate restraints (e.g., chukkering of the animals). ¹⁰
• The animals are often slaughtered without prior stunning, after experiencing yet another poor human-animal interaction by being roughly handled during the stressful process.

^{1. Ministerio de Desarrollo Agrario y Riego (MIDAGRI). “El 87% de la población mundial de alpacas se encuentra en el Perú.” Gob.pe, 1 Aug. 2022, https://www.gob.pe/institucion/midagri/noticias/636546-midagri-el-87-de-la-poblacion-mundial-de-alpacas-se-encuentra-en-el-peru. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.}

^{2. Alpaca del Perú. “2024, the International Year of Camelids: Discover Their Infinite Richness.” Alpaca del Perú, 13 June 2024, https://alpacadelperu.com.pe/en-us/alpacas-world/2024-the-international-year-of-camelids-discover-their-infinite-richness/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.}

^{3. Sperling, R. “Llamas and Alpacas.” Journal of Agricultural & Food Information, vol. 23, no. 1–2, 2022, pp. 2–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10496505.2021.2012083.}

^{4. Anello, M., Daverio, M. S., and Di Rocco, F. “Genetics of Coat Color and Fiber Production Traits in Llamas and Alpacas.” Animal Frontiers: The Review Magazine of Animal Agriculture, vol. 12, no. 4, 2022, pp. 78–86. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfac050.}

^{5. Binder, Elke. Untersuchung zur Stressbelastung von Alpakahengsten in Einzel- versus Gruppenhaltung. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 2014. https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/16710/1/Binder_Elke.pdf.}

^{6. Gerken, M., Scherpner, F., Gauly, M., and Dzapo, V. “Sozialverhalten und soziale Distanz bei Lamastuten.” Aktuelle Arbeiten zur artgemäßen Tierhaltung 1997, KTBL-Schrift 380, Darmstadt, KTBL, 1998, pp. 173–181. https://www.ktbl.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Allgemeines/Download/DVG-Tagung/P_11380_small.pdf.}

^{7. Wierucka, Kaja, and Stephan T. Leu. “Robust Encoding of Acoustic Identity in Alpaca Hums – A Basis for Individual Recognition.” bioRxiv, 31 Sept. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.31.596793.}

^{8. “Alpaca | Habitat, Diet, Lifespan, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/animal/alpaca. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.}

^{9. Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “Alpaca.” National Zoo, https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/alpaca. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.}

^{10. Ministry for Primary Industries. Code of Welfare: Llamas and Alpacas. Ministry for Primary Industries, 2018. https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/46039/direct.}

^{11. Cotton Creek Farms. “Alpaca Shearing Day.” Cotton Creek Farms, https://cottoncreekfarms.com/alpaca-shearing-day. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.}

^{12. Paka Apparel. “Alpaca Shearing 101: How We Harvest Fibers.” Paka Apparel, https://www.pakaapparel.com/blogs/basecamp/alpaca-shearing-101-how-we-harvest-fibers . Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.}

^{13. Ebel, Jeffrey. “Shearing Alpacas – Stress Levels and the Best Method.” Ebel Shearing, 18 Feb. 2024, https://www.alpaca-shearing.com/post/shearing-alpacas-stress-levels-and-the-best-method. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.}

^{14. Wittek, T., et al. “Clinical Parameters and Adrenocortical Activity to Assess Stress Responses of Alpacas Using Different Methods of Restraint Either Alone or with Shearing.” Veterinary Record, vol. 180, no. 23, 2017, p. 568. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104232.}

^{15. Waiblinger, S., Hajek, F., Lambacher, B., and Wittek, T. “Effects of the Method of Restraint for Shearing on Behaviour and Heart Rate Variability in Alpacas.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 223, 2020, article 104918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2019.104918.}

^{16. Kohl, T., Wurzinger, M., Gutierrez Reynoso, G. A., and Waiblinger, S. “Reactions of Alpacas to Shearing and Accompanying Procedures.” Small Ruminant Research, vol. 219, 2023, article 106885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106885.}

^{17. “Camelid Castration.” Large Animal Surgery, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, https://open.lib.umn.edu/largeanimalsurgery/chapter/camelid-castration. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025. 18. “Die Kastration beim Neuweltkamelhengst.” Vetline.de, https://www.vetline.de/die-kastration-beim-neuweltkamelhengst. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.}

^{19. Niehaus, A. J., and Anderson, D. E. “Tooth Root Abscesses in Llamas and Alpacas: 123 Cases (1994–2005).” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 231, no. 2, 2007, pp. 284–289. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.231.2.284.}

^{20. Niehaus, A. “Dental Disease in Llamas and Alpacas.” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice, vol. 25, no. 2, 2009, pp. 281–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2009.03.007.}

^{21. Oxfam America. “A Message from Peru’s Forgotten Farmers.” Oxfam America, https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/stories/a-message-from-perus-forgotten-farmers. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.}

^{22. Wurzinger, Maria, and Gustavo Gutiérrez. “Alpaca Breeding in Peru: From Individual Initiatives towards a National Breeding Programme?” Small Ruminant Research, vol. 217, 2022, article 106844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106844.}

^{23. Ecolonomics. “An Overview of Alpaca Diet, Nutrition & Care.” Ecolonomics, https://ecolonomics.org/an-overview-of-alpaca-diet-nutrition-care. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.}

^{24. Boughey, Imogen, Evelyn Hall, and Russell Bush. “Daytime Paddock Behaviour of Alpacas Raised in an Australian Extensive Production System: A Pilot Study.” Animals, vol. 15, no. 16, 2025, article 2357. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15162357.}