Llama On The Llam: Elusive Colorado Animal Caught After 6 Months

FORT COLLINS, CO -- 'Louise' is under lockdown. A stray female llama who's been roaming the Bobcat Ridge natural area near Loveland since May was finally lured into a corral Sunday by a bucketful of carrots and oats, park rangers said. The llama drama played out as rangers started to get reports that the animal was chasing horseback riders in the natural area and hikers on the Ginny Trail.

One ranger said she may have been just "looking for treats."

"I wouldn't say she was necessarily being aggressive, I think she just wanted to fall in with the group. They're a very social animal and they like to be in packs," said Stan Ebel, proprietor of Buckhorn Llama Ranch, near Loveland. Ebel brought a few of his herd animals up to the park in May to try to see if the stray llama could be drawn out of the hills, but she remained out of sight.

Hoping she would come down for the winter, rangers set out some hay bales at the base of Ginny Trail for forage feed and set up a game camera to get a glimpse of her.

"We were hoping we could get someone out here from Colorado Parks and Wildlife to try to put a bridle on her, or dart her," said Bobcat Ridge Resident Ranger Karl Manderbach.

Saturday morning, the animal, whom Facebook fans nicknamed Louise, wandered down to the parking lot, where she was spotted by Manderbach. He was able to hand-feed her some carrots, but she skittered away and ran back up Ginny Trail when he tried to trap her in a corral. Sunday, she was back, though and followed Manderbach into the corral to get at the food he provided. She did try to escape the corral by attempting to crawl under the bars Sunday, Manderbach said. Louise was held overnight in a horse stall.

Ebel said he'd be visiting Louise Monday to try to bridle her and see if she had a microchip.

"Who knows how she got out here," Ebel said. "Maybe someone drove her up and abandoned her." No one has stepped forward to claim the animal, Manderbach said.

Ebel said he was surprised Louise had not tried to either join one of his herds, which pasture nearby, or at least walk back to her home.

"[Llamas] know where they come from and they always try to get back, in my experience," Ebel said. He's been leasing and raising llamas since the 1980s. If no owner steps forward, Ebel has agreed to have Louise looked at by his vet and hold her at his ranch until she can be transferred to an animal sanctuary. Ebel said he's expecting her to be healthy after a life on the range.

"When my animals live on a 'scenery diet' and browse, it's more than adequate. They find everything they need [to eat] and end up in peak condition. I think she'll be in optimum condition when she's examined [by the vet.]"

Image via City of Fort Collins Natural Areas