Sugar (male)  was purchased at a stock sale at about 5 months of age along with a female companion about the same age. They were brought home and loved and very well cared for but the new owner had not been given any information on how to properly raise llamas. A few years passed and the owner found a dead baby in the field, they did not know the female was pregnant. Sugar rebred the female and upon delivery he tried to rebreed her and became very aggressive. The female suffered bites to her ears and head. The owner managed to get the baby ( a male) out of the field and discovered the mom had no milk.  Sugar tried to tear down the barn door to get to the female and was showing aggression to the humans. They called TLC for help and was advised to contact  Dr. Anderson and Ohio State Veterinary Hospital. The baby was transported and stabilized, but had to be bottle fed.  Sugar was castrated and his fighting teeth removed by our local vet. The owners had purchased goats so they could have goat milk for the baby. The mom and baby were put back in with Sugar and the goats. A few months later the mother died, they had called a local vet and he said she was dehydrated but he could not save her. Now Sugars long time mate is gone! So the owner purchased another young llama for a companion to the baby they already had.

Now Sugar has a "big" job of protecting the goats and two llamas. June 2003, the unthinkable happened. Now five years old  sugar attack the owner when she entered the field to take one of the goats out. He knocked her down and bit her several times. Two men were able to get him from the woman. A call was made to TLC and after an evaluation visit  we contacted Alvin and Lance of South East Llama Rescue for help. They agreed to take all three and will work with sugar to rehabilitate him.  The other young male (Cusco) that has been bottle raised can potentially exhibit the same aggressive behavior when he matures. We will keep you updated on Sugars progress.

UPDATE: November 8th, we went to pick up the three llamas and they had found Cusco dead in the field that morning, they do not know what happened. Rescue came one day to late for him. Sugar and Inca had a safe trip with Alvin and Lance. Sugar became so protective of Inca that he tried to bite and did not want "the humans" close to Inca. Although he was just doing his job, he was put in with other geldings so he has nothing to guard or protect now, it should be less stressful for him as he adjusts. Sugar will need to learn to trust again. Inca is having a great time with his new friends.