Two Counties in Colorado Named Top 10 for Alpacas

It's truly fascinating to discover the fun, often quirky, facts about Colorado when it comes to animals across the state, especially those that aren't native.

For example, it may come as a surprise to some to learn things like how one of the only camel dairy farms is located on Colorado's eastern plains, and that the historic gambling town of Cripple Creek releases donkeys into the streets each summer.

Read More: Colorado has one of the Only Camel Dairy Farms in the Country |

With that said, it will likely come as just as much of a surprise for some to learn that there are two Colorado counties that are home to enough alpacas to make the national top ten list.

Two Colorado Counties Are Home to Hundreds of Alpacas

The Lama pacos, commonly known as an alpaca, is a species of mammal found in the Andes Mountains in South American countries including Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile.

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Alpacas are similar to llamas, not just in appearance, but they also assert dominance by spitting. However, the main difference between the two species is that alpacas are noticeably smaller in stature.

The animals are raised throughout the United States to guard livestock and as pack animals, and alpaca manure is a widely used fertilizer as well.

As of 2022, the most alpacas were reported to be raised in Weld County, with a total of 963 specimens, with the second-most by Larimer County with 907.

The same study reported that Weld County ranked 5th in the nation with alpaca population, while Larimer County was ranked 8th.

Check out the entire top ten list here.