There were alpacas on the loose in Clinton, Maryland.
Hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband—because they're everywhere! Okay, it's not that bad—it's just adorable. On a walk to his local Starbucks, Pastor Joseph Gray III crossed paths with an imposing gang of four alpacas last Wednesday, January 8. Reportedly, the alpacas weren't too rowdy: they even stuck to the sidewalks!
The furry friends had been on the run for about four days at that point. Rashaod Crosson and Gregory Lea, owners of the farm where the alpacas now reside, had been searching for them since rescuing them from their former home. But the alpacas weren't willing to leave home quietly. The foursome is as thick as thieves, going everywhere together, so when it came time to re-home this alpaca alliance, they decided to go on the run together.
Crosson told NBC Washington, "As soon as that gate opened, they shot off.”
Closely related to camels, alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years and are considered livestock in the United States instead of exotic animals, despite their South American origins. Alpacas are known to hum as a form of communication, so if anything, this gang of four can only be compared to the singing "Sharks" from West Side Story.
As close as the alpaca friends are, this could have been the cause of their downfall. It's easy to spot one alpaca on the road, never mind four.
So where are they now?
Crosson and Lea used some horses to herd the alpacas back home where they will eventually play a role in the petting zoo Crosson and Lea hope to eventually open to the public. After four days of freedom, the fearsome four seem to have gotten their fill of life on the wild side. There have been no further reports of roaming alpacas.
Maryland isn't new to weird animals showing up in weirder places. Bulls get loose in Baltimore, and bears visit Columbia high schools. So, what's new, I guess? Just another quirky Maryland minute. Do you have any weird animal sightings to share? If so, tell us all about it in the comments!
