A Pasco County woman is being called the alpaca whisperer.
- Odessa ranch offers alpaca tours
- Get up close and personal with gentle animals
- Ranch to host Golden Spirit Alpaca Ranch Gala on Jan. 28
- Gala tickets available here
Brenda Crum looks over more than 200 alpacas at Golden Spirit Alpaca Ranch in Odessa.
“Most people do say, 'What is an alpaca?' ” Crum said. “It’s a common question. They are from the camel family.”
The animals are also related to llamas.
“They are a docile, gentle animal,” Crum said. “Their spirit is so sweet.”
The ranch offers tours where you can get up close and personal with alpacas.
"It has the name of a tour, but it’s really an experience, because you learn about the alpaca,” Crum said. “You get to touch them, learn about their personalities and have a little close-up photo-op, which is real fun for people.”
Another part of the experience is learning what the ranch does with alpaca hair, also called fiber. The ranch shears each alpaca about once a year, and the fiber is made into yarn for clothing.
The ranch is hosting the Golden Spirit Alpaca Ranch Gala from 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Jan. 28. The gala will showcase alpaca and fashion models wearing clothing and accessories made from alpaca fleece. The event benefits the Quechua Benefit, which helps people living in the highland communities in Peru.
To learn more about alpacas, click here.