Moai
Medium Fawn | July 4, 2011 | January 19, 2014
ARI: 31752787 | CLAA: 41638
AFD: | SD: | CV: | %>30:
Moai was a lovely animal. We needed a companion animal to the smaller of our weanling and yearling boys– someone with a good disposition. I wanted an animal who could do anything I set him to. Unlike Ellayo, Moai had lovely fibre, a prettier head and good conformation (As well as no aversion to younger animals). Moai was personable, intelligent, and always willing to work. I could not have been more pleased with this boy, and was so glad to have had Ernie and Denise give me the opportunity to bring him into my life, no matter how short lived his "visit" was.
He was a well-rounded animal. His fibre was wonderfully soft, with a moderately dense, very fine fleece. He maintained a long staple length, with his fleece regularly exceeding 4 inches.
Conformationally, he was sound with a square, upright build and medium bone structure.
Moai was intelligent, being both quick to learn and quick to become bored with routine. He enjoyed people, responded to a variety of verbal and nonverbal commands, and overall was a pleasure to work with. He was mischievous and clever, and full of life.
For me, he was the personification of the motto, "A huggable investment", showing that alpacas do seem to have the
capacity for some semblance of mutual companionship, without overstepping boundaries.
He passed away in January of 2014, suddenly and unexpectedly. It was a hard blow for everyone. Even though he was never destined to be a breeder or a contributor to our breeding program, he was still a dearly loved companion to humans and animals alike. Anyone who had the chance to meet him, will have seen his warm, friendly personality, and ill have known how much he was adored.
Always the first to greet everyone (and at shows to elicit attention from passerby), Moai was in some ways more like a dog than an alpaca in his behaviours. We see little parts of him in his relatives, and it warms our hearts. While we have little doubt that he knew how much he was loved and adored, he is sorely missed.