7 Reasons to Love Miraflora’s Alpacas

The Mirafora Naturals alpacas are without questions the stars of the farm—and not just because they make the soil rich. This rag-tag crew of camelids provides endless entertainment for the whole team. Here are a few fun facts about the animals and some of the reasons Percy, Oskar, Ting-Go, and the rest of the gang might just steal your heart, if not a bite of your lawn (they’re herbivores, after all).

They’re social butterflies

Alcapas like to gather in groups. According to the National Zoo, “They feel safest in numbers,” and due to their “strong herding instincts,” it is best to not have just one of these friends on your farm. It’s one of the reasons the Miraflora crew rolls 10 deep. 

They “orgle” when it’s flirting time

The mating call of a male alpaca (and its relative, the llama) is called orgling. If you haven’t heard it (and, really, why would you have?), it sort of sounds like a lawnmower starting. Apparently, the female alpacas find this very sexy. When they’re not busy getting it on, they sometimes hum, too.

They have real personalities 

The Miraflora alpaca have distinct personalities. To give you a sense of the characters we’re talking about here: Oskar is a total love, Explorer is the protector of the group, and Irish Whiskey is a party boy. Meet all 10 of them here, but heads-up: picking a favorite is pretty impossible. 

They’re probably not going to spit on you

OK, yes, alpacas are sort of known for spitting—and, hey, they do it. But according to the Alpaca Owners Association, they rarely do the move unless they feel threatened. So if you’re speaking in soft tones, don’t make any threatening movements toward them, and leave their food alone, you’re more likely to come away with a sweet encounter you’ll want to remember forever than covered in spit. There’s an etiquette guide, in case you want pointers.

Their waste is super fertile

Besides the pleasure of their company, the alpacas provide the team with nutrient-rich fertilizer by way of what Miraflora calls “Alpaca Gold,” also known as poo. They’re vegetarians, with grass as their primary source of food. And the waste they create because of it helps the hemp plants thrive on the farm, which ups the quality of the products. 

They use a “bathroom”

Well, not really a bathroom. But rather than just go whenever like a lot of livestock, alpacas do their business in a communal dung pile. This makes them a cleaner and more refined farm dweller than most. 

They can be therapy pets

The therapy animal company Pet Partners reportedly keeps 13 llamas and alpacas, three of which have qualified to be registered for use in rehab centers, assisted living facilities, and nursing and veterans’ homes. None of the gang at Miraflora is certified as therapy animals, but they are excellent listeners. 

You can follow them on TikTok

Any time you want a little mood boost, you can check in on herd at Miraflora by following these hams on their own channel @alpacas_hemping. We dare you to pop over and not smile at their fuzzy little faces. Go check it out. Burrito is waiting for you.