The Llama Sanctuary

The Llama Sanctuary The largest Llama & Alpaca rescue in Canada: Educational Tours/handfeeding/handmade crafts/group tours, Team Building Events
Charity #786315069
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The Llama Sanctuary is a not for profit dedicated to caring for homeless, sick and neglected llamas and alpacas. You can view our free online fibre arts tuition videos on YouTube. Sanctuary S0074334

On a chilly Saturday morning, we hosted our very first Positive Reinforcement training session here at The Llama Sanctua...
11/24/2025

On a chilly Saturday morning, we hosted our very first Positive Reinforcement training session here at The Llama Sanctuary — and what a wonderful day it was!

Our amazing volunteer and professional horse trainer, Sandra Poppema of , guided a small group through the foundations of reward-based training.

While the llamas were more than happy to volunteer themselves (some a little too enthusiastically!), most participants were eager to learn techniques they could use with their own animals at home — including horses… and even a mule!

The class fee of $40 per person helps support the animals in our care, and we’re delighted to say this was the first of many classes to come. Training with kindness is a beautiful experience, and we’re excited to share more opportunities soon. It is worth mentioning that these are not trained llamas we are working with, they are some of the most challenging in The Sanctuary!

And of course, a special mention must go to Cocopuff, who was so enthusiastic that he kept his nose glued to the target long after the trainees had left the pen. What a superstar! 🤎

Thank you to everyone who attended, and to Sandra for sharing her expertise and her heart. Stay tuned — more training sessions are on the way!

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

The All-new and exceedingly fancy ‘Llama Hilton’ is almost complete! Due to intermittent funds, this has taken a year t...
11/19/2025

The All-new and exceedingly fancy ‘Llama Hilton’ is almost complete! Due to intermittent funds, this has taken a year to build, but it’s going to be a huge boon this winter. This will house the Arena Tribe during the winter months, where they can have heated water buckets, electric lighting (OMG!) multiple hay feeders and front and back doors. You might also notice the angled walls? Four sections of wall are hinged at the top and can be raised into the ceiling to provide an open plan living and training area during the summer. The near end is a separate section for storing squabbling alpacas and those half walls also fold back. It’s had a simple splash of paint to protect it over winter and next year it will receive the full paint job. New boy Bruno approves!

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

HELP WANTED - The Llama Sanctuary's little 2 ton excavator won't start and sorely needs a diesel mechanic. I've exhaust...
11/10/2025

HELP WANTED - The Llama Sanctuary's little 2 ton excavator won't start and sorely needs a diesel mechanic. I've exhausted my own knowledge and I'm looking for someone who has experience on diesel engines to help get her started again.

DADDY’S HERE! This fine looking chap is Bruno, the father of the little cria Peanut who arrived a few days ago. He was ...
11/10/2025

DADDY’S HERE! This fine looking chap is Bruno, the father of the little cria Peanut who arrived a few days ago. He was originally called Brownie, but as many of you will know, Mr Brownie was the name of a much loved resident of The Sanctuary who recently left this world. Bruno seems to suit this sizable llama. If I said he just walked into the trailer by himself, without any encouragement, I wouldn’t be lying; that’s exactly what happened. He’s never been handled, he desperately needs a haircut, a pedicure, a bit of dentistry and an appointment with the vet, which we won’t tell him about just yet – Sorry Bruno, no more babies!

The Llama Sanctuary is open for visitors every day of the year, by appointment. With shorter daylight hours, Guided tours are 11am only. To book your visit, go to: https://llamasanctuary.com

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

GREAT NEWS – The vet spent a long time with Peanut on Friday and we came up with a plan. It seems she is fast tracking ...
11/02/2025

GREAT NEWS – The vet spent a long time with Peanut on Friday and we came up with a plan. It seems she is fast tracking the development of compartment C1 of her three-compartment stomach. Normally, C1 doesn’t develop fully until week 12, but the more solids she eats, the faster it develops and she prefers solid food. We soaked some beet pulp and grass pellets in milk formula and sluuurrrp ..it was gone. Wait a while. No ill effects. Do it again and sluuurrrp ..it’s gone. She’s passing lots of beans, so it’s working and in the last 24 hours she’s gained 2lbs, although I suspect much of that is stomach content! The vet found a hernia near her umbilicus, so we have to monitor that very closely, due to her tiny intestine and relatively large beans. An alternative plan to induce lactation in recent mother Twizzle, has been shelved for now. Our gratitude goes out to everyone for your suggestions and prayers. We think she’s going to be fine.

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

ORPHANED at 5 weeks! This poor little girl lost her mother a few days ago to a couple of bears. She was rushed to The ...
10/31/2025

ORPHANED at 5 weeks! This poor little girl lost her mother a few days ago to a couple of bears. She was rushed to The Llama Sanctuary for care. We thought we had a lot of experience in bottle feeding, but she refuses every trick to encourage her to take the bottle! Syringe feeding is the only way too get milk into her at this time. She needs a few more weeks of milk before her rumen is fully developed, so she’s pretty much a full time occupation. She’s very underweight and losing weight daily. The droopy eartips is not a good sign, so the vet is coming this morning.

At present she’s called Peanut, but that might change.

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

10/21/2025

HAY OR RAISINS? Why do llamas (and other animals!) love hay so much? It’s just dried grass isn't it?

Grass vs Hay Think in terms of Grapes vs Raisins

It’s enjoyable and refreshing to eat the fresh, juicy fruit, but for flavour, the shrivelled raisin packs the best punch!

Fresh grass is full of energy, moisture, and nutrients. When it’s cut and dried at just the right time, those nutrients are preserved — a bit like turning a grape into a raisin.

The grape (fresh grass) is full of water, sugar, and natural enzymes.

The raisin (hay) still contains those nutrients — but concentrated, and in a form that will last all winter.

How and when hay is harvested and dried makes all the difference. The later in the day the grass is cut, the higher the sugar/carbohydrate content. Horsie people often prefer early morning harvesting to prevent their friends from getting chubby! For llamas, alfalfa is the ingredient that most commonly adds a hump to the withers.

If hay gets rained on whilst drying, it leaches nutrition, whilst too much sun can bleach and destroy vitamins. The perfect hay is dried quickly, and stored away from moisture and sunlight.

Good-quality hay provides:
• Fibre – essential for rumen function. Llamas and alpacas rely on long-stem fibre to keep their multi-chambered stomachs moving properly.
• Protein – for muscle maintenance, growth, and healing.
• Carbohydrates – energy from natural plant sugars.
• Vitamins – especially A, D, E, and some B-complex (though these diminish over time).
• Minerals – calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and trace elements from the soil.
• Plant compounds – flavonoids and antioxidants that support overall health.

A bale of hay is a reflection of the soil from which it comes. The mix of grasses and legumes, the harvest date, and even the weather all shape the nutritional content and flavour. The Llama Sanctuary collects hay from several different farm in the hope that it balances out these differences.

The Hayloft is full - about 10 tons of food stored above the llamas' heads. If you happen to have any of those hay bags you see hanging on the posts, we could do with some more. They are perfect for the skinnies! Got a hay story to share?

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

A COMPLEX HAY DIET - Over the next few posts, we’ll explore how hay nourishes the herd and why sourcing it is such a bi...
10/16/2025

A COMPLEX HAY DIET - Over the next few posts, we’ll explore how hay nourishes the herd and why sourcing it is such a big deal for The Llama Sanctuary.

The cold weather has arrived, so it’s time to feed the ‘good stuff’. As summer ends, the grass begins to die back, so the llamas need a boost and for this they receive the hay remaining from last year. Once hay becomes their only source of food, we make sure they get the best. On offer today for The Arena Tribe is a large round bale of really nice 2nd cut timothy hay. The hay nets hanging on the walls contain either last year’s 3rd cut or this year’s 2nd cut mixed grasses. In abut 10 days time, when the timothy grass bale has been eaten they will receive a really juicy bale of oat silage. We like to vary the feed on offer for several reasons: Llamas are browsers, not quite like Google, but they like to browse the countryside for different types of food. This helps to ensure they receive balanced nutrition. If we feed hay of different types from different sources, we are emulating as closely as we can, the process of browsing.

Stay tuned for more a detailed study of hay and why it’s so important.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed so generously to this year’s hay fund. We’re still about $3000 short and we still have a few loads to collect ...but we’re close! You can still help: https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/fill-the-hayloft

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

DESPERATELY SEEKING LENNY This handsome gentleman has been with us at The Llama Sanctuary & CATS2 for many months now, w...
10/10/2025

DESPERATELY SEEKING LENNY

This handsome gentleman has been with us at The Llama Sanctuary & CATS2 for many months now, waiting ever so patiently for someone special to see him.
Lenny is a 13-year-old tabby with the softest fur and the biggest heart. Life hasn’t been entirely kind — an old injury left him with a damaged hind leg, so he can’t jump or climb like he used to. But what he can do is melt right into your lap and purr like a little engine. That’s his favourite place in the whole world. 💕

Lenny would love a quiet home where he can have his own human all to himself. He’s not too keen on sharing space with other cats, but give him a soft bed, a warm lap, and a gentle voice — and he’ll be your loyal companion for the rest of his golden years.

Could you open your heart and home to this beautiful soul?

Give us a call 250 948 3675 or message for more information.

Even if you can’t adopt, please share this post — it might help Lenny find the perfect person who’s been waiting for him, too.

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

SWEET & INNOCENT is the Paul that visitors get to experience and love, but carry a bucket of grain into the field and yo...
10/06/2025

SWEET & INNOCENT is the Paul that visitors get to experience and love, but carry a bucket of grain into the field and you could meet with a different Paul. His ‘mugging’ techniques involve hip swinging and ‘necking’, forcing his very muscular neck onto your shoulder! Interestingly, he doesn’t exhibit this rude behaviour if you’re carrying the small white visitor pails that hold the carroty bait designed to lure the llamas, but if you happen to be given a large, brightly coloured bucket to carry, make sure you are sporting a bushy beard. Paul’s beard fe**sh is greater than his desire for grain! Llamas can be REALLY quirky!

The Llama Sanctuary remains open to visitors all year. Book online at https://llamasanctuary.com or call 250 948 3675

Help put hay on the table!

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

MASTERING THE SPRINKLER Taken some years ago, this fluffy young llama mastered the art of stopping the spinning sprinkl...
10/01/2025

MASTERING THE SPRINKLER Taken some years ago, this fluffy young llama mastered the art of stopping the spinning sprinkler head for a drink. Having watched her for while Blackberry also mastered it and what do you think happened next? ...the hundredth monkey syndrome did NOT take effect and no-one else learned how to drink from a sprinkler. It remains a skill attempted by few and mastered by even fewer. It was almost a good story!

And just for a change, I am not going to beg you to donate to the llamas’ hay fund. But ...if you did feel like contributing, just look at some earlier posts here.

Thank you for your support.

“Let Care & Compassion be our Legacy”

Address

1315 Tappen Valley Road
Tappen, BC
V0E2X3

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 1pm
Tuesday 11am - 1pm
Wednesday 11am - 1pm
Thursday 11am - 1pm
Friday 11am - 1pm
Saturday 11am - 1pm
2pm - 3:30pm
Sunday 11am - 1pm

Telephone

+12509483675

Website

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Our Story

The Llama Sanctuary is dedicated to caring for homeless, sick and neglected and retiree llamas and alpacas. It all began with one llama, the unique and Beloved TomBurke. We raise funds through Llama Safaris, Guided Tours and Fibre Arts Workshops at the beautiful Sanctuary Park and Fibre Products from the FABinBC online store. Now offering Home Party events and workshops, with all materials included. It’s all about having fun and supporting the llamas and alpacas in care.