Claudia’s herd was being sold! She was to have a new home but the new owner rejected her because there was something wrong with one of her eyes! The Crooked Leg Ranch was called and off they went, in Old Betsy the truck, to pick up Claudia the llama.
Apparently, she had been harassed and somehow her eye became infected. So, $500 later, a surgeon removed her eye and she returned to the ranch to recuperate. Carmen and Claire, already ranch veterans, welcomed Claudia to their home. Due to the trauma that Claudia had endured, the focus was on creating a loving environment for her so the llamas did what llamas do and they ate their way to happiness.
All was calm until about a year later, Carmen and Claire appeared at the house, somehow escaping their enclosure. They were agitated as if they had been scared by something but Claudia was nowhere to be found. Searchers called and walked the ranch. Several hours later, they found Claudia standing in a low swampy area at the far end of a field and as the searchers got closer, a small white head popped up. Claudia had given birth! The area was soft but wet so they picked up the baby llama and turned for home. Claudia started to hum. She let them carry her baby and continued to hum as they crossed the field. The humming attracted the horses and they started to follow. The humming attracted Humphrey so he joined the cue. The humming was joined by the other llamas and soon there were many four-legged welcomers surrounding the baby.
As Claudia waited on the porch, the cria (baby llama) was carried into the house where the family first thought it was a poodle. Closer inspection soon found that this new addition was a llama!
They dried it and cleaned it and then made a home for Claudia and her baby in the pony pen. As it happened to be a tough emotional time for the family so this creature was seen as a mini miracle and they named him Zachary Cloud. All four llamas are doing well, Carmen, Claire, Claudia and Cloud, in their sanctuary at the ranch.
For more information, please contact: www.crookedlegranch.com
