UNION, Mo. — A baby alpaca born in Union surprised ranch hands, who are now asking for the public's help deciding on its name.
Longmeadow Rescue Ranch took in two adult female alpacas from Oklahoma on Sept. 30, the ranch said in an emailed press release. Just hours later, one of the adult alpacas gave birth.
Workers at the ranch were forced to spring into action as the mother alpaca was in poor health and was unable to support the newborn's first milk, the ranch said. The baby survived and the mother was soon able to take over. Both are now doing well in the weeks since the baby alpaca's, or "cria's", birth.
"In the weeks since his birth, the little guy has spent his days nursing and getting acquainted with the world," the ranch said in a Facebook post. "For now, he is not available for public viewing or interaction, but we look forward to the day where he can meet all of his fans."
The ranch asked for the public's help to choose between four potential names for the cria on its Facebook page, including:
- Michael
- Alpacacino
- Pacha
- Fruitloop
Anyone interested in casting their vote for a name can post the name in the comment section of the below post.
The winning name will be announced on Oct. 28.