Horniman's alpacas 2024

 My last blog on the alpacas at Horniman's in London was in May 2020. Then sadly the older of the two, Peep, died in Feb 2021. She was the mother of the brown alpaca Poppy. Poppy, who was born in Hornimans in 2014, was then moved in with the sheep. 

In July 2021 Eva, aged 7, arrived to join Poppy. Eva is a Huacaya alpaca. There are two breeds of alpaca, the Suri and the Huacaya.

Eva July 2021 -

Eva and Poppy Oct 2022 -

UPDATE

Jan 16 2025 Poppy appeared in The Metro newspaper -

Alpacas at Horniman's

I often go to Horniman's Park and enjoy seeing the alpacas. The heat returned in the later part of May. The lockdown rules had been relaxed and Horniman's was full of people enjoying the good weather.

Even Peeps the alpaca was sunbathing, but she must have been hot in her black coat. The sheep was looking on in amazement!

She eventually sat up

Poppy the daughter was close by all the time -

They both had haircuts a few weeks ago. Poppy had been left with more leggings and bootees than mum.

The sheep and goats had also been shorn -

See more on the alpacas and fox  and on the mother and daughter alpacas.

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UPDATE 2021

Sadly Peep, the mother alpaca, died on 26 Feb 2021.

I went there on 4 March and saw Poppy with the sheep. I hope she gets to join some other alpacas soon.

Alpacas and fox at Hornimans

Went to Hornimans today and there was a fox inside the alpaca's paddock. The black alpaca, Peep, the mother of the brown one, kept chasing the fox, but the fox made no attempt to leave. It might have been after the food buckets that were at the top of the paddock.

The brown alpaca, Poppy, is the daughter, and she wasn't bothered by the fox. The sheep just looked on. The keepers were watching and laughing, like the rest of us. Wish I had taken a video.

See more on the mother and daughter alpacas on the Hornimans blog.