Thursday, December 30, 2010

Large animal sanctuary residents transferred to Missoula

Defunct Niarada sanctuary: Momma llamas moved to Missoula


buy this photo Perry Backus - Ravalli Republic A pair of llamas give a visitor to the Safe Haven Llama and Alpaca Sanctuary the once over.
  • Momma llamas moved to Missoula
  • Momma llamas moved to Missoula
  • Momma llamas moved to Missoula

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The first 30 of an estimated 700 llamas from a defunct animal sanctuary in Niarada arrived in Missoula late Tuesday afternoon.
The 30 momma llamas and cria were brought to the Missoula County Fairgrounds.
Minutes later, they left for a temporary home in the Bitterroot Valley after the driver decided it wasn't safe to unload the animals there because the llamas were too wild and didn't have halters.
The move was predicated on a need to get the llamas and their young out of the elements, said Steph Kassner, AniMeals volunteer coordinator.
"Having them here in Missoula should also provide quicker access for people considering adoption," she said.
AniMeals has taken the lead in caring for more than 1,000 animals left at the 400-acre Montana Large Animal Sanctuary, located 15 miles north of Hot Springs.
The sanctuary's owners, Brian and Kathryn Warrington, said they can no longer care for the animals after a funding source dried up.
Kassner said the decision to move the momma llamas and their babies was made after weather conditions deteriorated and volunteers weren't able to find adequate shelter for the newborns.
Some of the cria were just days old.
The organization also hopes that moving the animals closer to a population center will help in finding new homes for the llamas.
"We've had hundreds and hundreds of e-mails, phone calls and letters from people wanting to help, but we have not received a single adoption application for the llamas," she said.

That fact wouldn't surprise Char Hakes of the Safe Haven Llama and Alpaca Sanctuary in Corvallis.
Over this past year, that organization has adopted one llama. A year earlier, they adopted about eight.
"It's challenging to find homes for llamas right now," Hakes said.
The Corvallis facility currently houses about 65 llamas and 14 alpacas.
Those animals are wormed, vaccinated, and have their toenails trimmed on a regular basis, which is probably something that has not happened with the llamas from the Niarada sanctuary, she said.
Hakes has volunteered to help evaluate the Niarada llamas.
"I know there are a lot of males that haven't been gelded and there's probably some that have gone feral," Hakes said. "We're going to do whatever we can to help."
That probably will include some workshops for new llama owners over the next couple of months.
"Llamas have some specific needs," she said. "We can help show people what those are. ... Overall, llamas are easy keepers. It costs maybe $250 a year to care for them and that includes everything."
You can feed four llamas or up to six alpacas on the same amount of hay it takes to maintain one horse, Hakes said.
"Besides that, llamas are also quite peaceful animals to be around," she said.
Kassner said there are a lot of people wanting to help find new homes for the llamas.
"We've received e-mails from Texas, California, Canada and Washington from people willing to help," she said. "Llamas are hard to place. ... A lot of them are out of control, but we think in the right hands, they can be rehabilitated."
People can find an adoption application at www.animeals.com in the blog section, which can be found about halfway down the homepage on the right-hand side. Look for the bunny and the kitten.
"We will expedite all of the applications that we receive," Kassner said.

In the meantime, the llamas will have a chance to get acclimated at the Missoula fairgrounds for a week or 10 days before the public will be allowed to come take a look, said Missoula fairgrounds director Steve Earle in a conversation before the llamas drop-off was called off.
"When we heard about this we basically put our arms out and told them we would do everything we can to help," Earle said.
The initial plan called for setting aside a portion of the fairgrounds as a sick bay, nursery and fitness center for the llamas that won't be open to the public.
"As they become more accustomed to people, we'll put their street shoes on and people will be encouraged to come and take a look," Earle said.
The fairgrounds has been a staging area to collect hay and feed for the ongoing rescue effort happening in Niarada.
"We've talked about a lot of different possibilities with AniMeals and now, all of a sudden, they are becoming reality," Earle said.

Efforts to find new homes for the remaining animals at the sanctuary are moving forward too.
Phyllis Ruana of the Montana Animal Care Association of Corvallis said the donkeys that arrived in the Bitterroot Valley two weeks ago are starting to be adopted.
"Two left yesterday," she said.
The focus for the groups charged with finding new homes for the sanctuary's equines is now on the estimated 80 horses that remain at the site.
"That's big numbers in an economy when you can find a free horse almost any day," Ruana said. "Most of them are in pretty good condition, but some do have severe hoof issues."
The groups are considering bringing some of the horses to the Hamilton area to receive medical and hoof treatment in preparation for adoption.
For that to happen, Ruana said they need to have volunteers ready to help feed, clean stalls and do other chores.
"These horses will need around the clock care after their hooves are trimmed for a period of time," she said. "We don't want to get too many here at one time. Our volunteers will wear out."
The decision on what will happen with the horses should be made soon.
"The llama thing is big, but the horse thing is big too," she said.
People interested in volunteering can e-mail Jane Heath at ht@mt.net.

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