Lovely but Deadly Alpacas

Alpacas, native from Peru, are believed to have been domesticated around six thousand years ago. They were introduced to northern Ecuador highlands by the Incas. To this moment, Alpacas herds can be spotted in the Ecuadorian paramos, in the last decades, their numbers increased mainly due to the growth of its textile industry. Alpacas overgrazing and feces compromise the vegetation cover and freshwater quality of this tropical montane ecosystem.