Merseyside charity celebrates surprise birth of alpaca

A Merseyside autism charity had some good news this month with the surprise birth of a baby alpaca at its Wirral site.

Autism Together’s animal husbandry team manages a menagerie of animals – with help from the autistic adults the charity supports – including pigs, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and, of course, alpacas.

The team had no idea that mum Ali was even pregnant. Activity Leader Claire Quinlan was the first person to meet the new arrival. When the charity acquired four alpacas – three females, Jenny, Davina and Ali, and one male called Inca – it was hoped that the patter of tiny hooves would be heard one day, but the animal husbandry team at Raby Gardens had no idea the miracle mum would be Ali as she had been really poorly.

As Claire first found the baby alpaca, or cria as they are known, she has developed a special bond with the infant.

When it came to naming the young cria, the team decided to call him Gabe, after the vet who saved Ali’s life a year ago.

Autism Together employs almost 1,000 staff, supporting around 400 autistic adults through day services and at residential and supported living locations in Wirral, West Cheshire and Wrexham.

Sarah Walker is an Activity Manager at Raby Gardens, and explains the importance of having animals on site for autistic people to interact with and look after:

“It’s very therapeutic, I think. A lot of people find them very relaxing.

“People can either hold them and stroke them, or they can have animals at hip height in enclosures, so they can just stroke them and come away when they’re ready.”

The charity’s Raby site is in a picturesque rural area, with residential and respite services set alongside woodlands and fields for the people who live there to explore and enjoy safely.