This is the
story of Annabelle’s birth.
The last of
the oak leaves were clinging tightly to the tree as the artic wind
tore at their hold. The alpaca herd was venturing out into the
pasture in search of a green blade of grass that by some miracle had
not been eaten. Consuelo was moving slowly, her cria was getting
large, and it was near her time to deliver her baby. The cria
stirred within her.
Alpacas
being from the mountains of Peru, Bolivia and Chile usually have
their alpacas in the middle hours of the day. It is warmer during
that time and the crias are wet when they are born, so the sunlight
helps the crias to dry quicker.
Consuelo
twitched her tail; she knew the baby was on its way. She searched
for a place in the pasture where she could be alone, yet not too far
from the herd.
The farmer
and his wife had just arrived home. The farmer had been in the
hospital. The farmer’s wife left the house and headed for the
barn. The wind blew icy snowflakes in the face, she pulled her
jacket zipper up to her chin and continued walking. On her way she
surveyed the pasture. She was looking for Consuelo, as she did
several times a day. She knew if Consuelo went off by herself that
meant the cria was about to be born. There she was high in the
pasture. She started to run to the barn. Quickly she moved through
the tack room, grabbing a clean towel and her camera. Kit the farm
hand followed her. They climbed the hill with the wind whipping at
their ears. When they got close enough Consuelo looked up at them
and moaned “hmmmmgh”. The cria’s head was already showing. The
wind was so cold, the baby alpaca looked frozen. The farmer’s wife
laid the towel on the crusty ground underneath the baby alpaca. The
cria was wiggling its ears. It was alive but, oh, so very cold.
Consuelo moaned again. Kit held the cria as the farmer’s wife
checked its mouth. The baby alpaca’s tongue was blue. She called to
her husband, who had stepped out of the house. He called back.
“Help Consuelo, pull the baby out” Kit held the towel under the cria
as the farmer’s wife gave a gentle pull. The wet cria slid out of
Consuelo’s womb. Kit caught the baby alpaca and wrapped it in the
towel.
The farmer’s
wife stood up and called Consuelo to follow her. They walked slowly
across the frozen pasture to the barn. Inside the barn they
unwrapped the cria and allowed Consuelo to inspect her baby.
“Consuelo, You have a beautiful baby girl, said the farmers wife.
Kit and the farmer’s wife used clean towels to dry the baby off.
They took Consuelo and the cria to a special pen in the barn that
they had prepared earlier. It had a deep bed of fresh straw for the
mother and cria to sleep on. Kit put a small pail of water in the
pen and the farmer’s wife added a flake of sweet hay.
What will
you call the new alpaca asked Kit? Her name will be Annabelle said
the farmer’s wife.
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