Have I been hallucinating

[jimi]

Or did I see a wild alpaca near Levington marina today( dogs were very interested ….)

 

[Concerto]

Are you sure? You might cause some a larm-a!

 

[jimi]

If it wasn’t it was the spitting image of one?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I'll have some of what you're smoking!

Seriously, I guess someone could farm them round there, or even keep them as pets. A quick Google doesn't suggest there's any nearer than a place maybe ten miles north of Ipswich, but that's farms. There's a wildlife place (Jimmy's Farm) that advertises Llamas near Fox's marina.

 

[LittleSister]

Or did I see a wild alpaca near Levington marina today

There's a wildlife place (Jimmy's Farm) that advertises Llamas near Fox's marina.

Obviously keen sailors, these camelid mammals!

 

[Skellum]

Too much Adnams Broadside at lunchtime?

 

[Malish]

Take a camera next time...

 

[johnalison]

Are you sure it was wild? And what had you done to make it so?

 

[jimi]

Are you sure it was wild? And what had you done to make it so?

Well it wasn’t mad about our two springer spaniels chasing it ?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I've been doing a bit of research. This website is a useful list of (known) invasive species in the UK. No Camelids are on it; the nearest in appearance is the Muntjac Deer, which is very common in East Anglia - you often see them as roadkill! But They're only the size of a largish dog. Alpacas are both farmed and kept as pets, so it could be an escapee; it might be worth notifying the Police as someone could have lost one. But if it isn't an Alpaca, I think the only likely candidates are Muntjac Deer or other native deer.

 

[jimi]

I've been doing a bit of research. This website is a useful list of (known) invasive species in the UK. No Camelids are on it; the nearest in appearance is the Muntjac Deer, which is very common in East Anglia - you often see them as roadkill! But They're only the size of a largish dog. Alpacas are both farmed and kept as pets, so it could be an escapee; it might be worth notifying the Police as someone could have lost one. But if it isn't an Alpaca, I think the only likely candidates are Muntjac Deer or other native deer.

Definitely not a deer, I see them most days. My wife saw it as well, chocolate brown llama like thing half a mile west of the marina

 

[Kukri]

How woolly was it? An escapee would probably be very sheepish, so to speak; a domestic one would have been shorn, but even so much bulkier in appearance than, say, a roe deer (I get one of those in the garden sometimes).

 

[jimi]

It didn't look terribly hirsute but definitely woollier than a hairy deer ;-) Neck was definitely llama like.

 

[johnalison]

I've been doing a bit of research. This website is a useful list of (known) invasive species in the UK. No Camelids are on it; the nearest in appearance is the Muntjac Deer, which is very common in East Anglia - you often see them as roadkill! But They're only the size of a largish dog. Alpacas are both farmed and kept as pets, so it could be an escapee; it might be worth notifying the Police as someone could have lost one. But if it isn't an Alpaca, I think the only likely candidates are Muntjac Deer or other native deer.

There are also Chinese water deer around, which I have just glimpsed when they were pointed out to me by a wildlife guide in Suffolk.

 

[jimi]

Looking up the Chinese water deer, I wonder if it was one of these. The dogs sprang it out from the reed beds beside the path between Levington marina and the Ship inn

 

[Kukri]

Looking up the Chinese water deer, I wonder if it was one of these. The dogs sprang it out from the reed beds beside the path between Levington marina and the Ship inn

Looks “llama-like” and that spot ought to suit it.

 

[johnalison]

Looks “lama-like” and that spot ought to suit it.

View attachment 126180

It doesn’t look very religious to me, but it could be mistaken for a SA animal.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

There are also Chinese water deer around, which I have just glimpsed when they were pointed out to me by a wildlife guide in Suffolk.

Chinese Water Deer have rather prominent tusks pointing down from the upper jaw - a bit Dracula-like! But their build and preferred habitat do all match up with @jimi 's description. Oddly, they aren't on the government web-site I linked to before but apparently there is a population that started with escapes from places like Woburn, and which has steadily moved East. The marshy shores of the East Coast rivers would probably be ideal habitat for them.

@jimi , was this on the coastal path from SYH to Levington village?

 

[jimi]

Chinese Water Deer have rather prominent tusks pointing down from the upper jaw - a bit Dracula-like! But their build and preferred habitat do all match up with @jimi 's description. Oddly, they aren't on the government web-site I linked to before but apparently there is a population that started with escapes from places like Woburn, and which has steadily moved East. The marshy shores of the East Coast rivers would probably be ideal habitat for them.

@jimi , was this on the coastal path from SYH to Levington village?

yes, we were on that path. The dogs started getting very interested in the reeds when this thing bounded out at the far end of the reed beds. We were not close enough to see too much detail.

 

[alandalus11]

yes, we were on that path. The dogs started getting very interested in the reeds when this thing bounded out at the far end of the reed beds. We were not close enough to see too much detail.

If your dogs came across two llamas make sure they don't stand in between them. They could get LLamanated