It’s been a tough few days at the Llama Sanctuary near Chase. On July 25, two of the sanctuary’s animals died. Lucky the alpaca and Merlin the llama were found dead on the property. “The autopsies were inconclusive as to the cause of death. Since both were in good health, predation is the most likely cause,” said a post on the sanctuary’s Facebook page. “However, none of the classic signs of coyote, cougar or bear predation were evident. Luki had a small bite on his shoulder and neck, probably from transportation. No signs of crushing or strangulation and no loss of blood. Although the body had found Merlin, once again there were none of the expected indicators.’ Adding to the stress of the situation, the sanctuary is still in need of a new home. In early July, the shrine was given 30 days to vacate the property where it has been for the past five years. Sanctuary has launched an online fundraiser in an attempt to raise enough money for a down payment on a new property. The shelter’s operators had found a piece of property they hoped to move to, but the deal fell through. “Although the most amazing network of supporters came to us and raised the $60,000 deposit to secure a forever home for the shelter, we had to back out of the deal due to a lack of purchase funds,” the Facebook post said. So the sanctuary is still in desperate need of a large plot of land to house the 40 to 60 llamas, alpacas and guanacos the nonprofit cares for. The cost of relocating the animals with all barns, shelters, infrastructure and feed is an additional $20,000. The ultimate fundraising goal is $1.5 million so the shelter can purchase a parcel of land. The sanctuary was founded in 2005 and for the past five years has operated on a 50-acre parcel of land on Chase-Falkland Road, which it must now vacate. Over the years, the sanctuary has become a popular destination for autistic care groups, who have discovered the tremendous effect of “llama-calming” on mental and emotional hyperactivity. According to the sanctuary, the llamas were introduced to Canada in the 1980s as an exotic species and sold for up to $60,000 each. Popularity grew rapidly and some people developed large herds of animals. But 20 years later, the market was saturated and it collapsed. Almost overnight, the value of llamas dropped to the point where they were either given to whoever would take them or let loose in the forest. Those released often clashed with local landowners and farmers as they searched for food. Some of the animals at the sanctuary also come from abusive backgrounds.
