Levi was our first llama. At the time, 1987, we had pygmy goats, sitka deer and a burro. We thought it would be fun to have ONE llama.

We found Levi for sale on a llama farm that was going out of the business. He wasn't the most handsome of the males for sale and was badly matted. He was up to his ankles in mud in a very small pen with only a small plastic tarp covering one corner for shelter. Levi came up to us right away humming and giving us kisses and in some way we felt he wanted us to take him home. So we bought him and in a few days he was delivered.

After he settled in, we learned that what we had been told was "the sniffles" was choanal atresia (an obstruction between the nasal cavity and the throat) on one side of his nose. Levi was intact so we had him gelded to avoid the risk of passing this on to any future crias. Although we tried many remedies, there wasn't much we could do for his chronic skin problems that cropped up from time to time and the wool on his ankles never grew back after being in that mud for what must have been a very long time. He was so badly matted that we had him sheared. Since in our area at that time not many people were shearing llamas we hired a sheep shearer to do the job. It was a very short cria cut and he was so embarrassed. But he quickly forgave us for both procedures and to our surprise Levi now liked to be touched and have his back scratched.

We could have been in very big trouble selecting an intact, friendly seven year old male as a pet. But he was so sweet tempered and mellow that we fell in love with llamas and within six months bought two more. Even with all his problems Levi was so beautiful to us.

Levi left us after a severe stroke. He passed quickly which was a blessing because the stroke had done such damage that it was very difficult to even get water down him. Yet he was so brave through it all and I felt comforted by his eyes when he left us for a new and better home. After raising llamas for a number of years, I certainly know more about selecting a llama but I'd buy him again in a heartbeat.
Jean Hardman