They unloaded them here, and as soon as I saw them, I knew this is where I wanted to go. Today, the descendants of those first intrepid South American immigrants graze the gently sloping acreage behind Hoffman's home in Bonny Doon, site of the only alpaca farm in Santa Cruz County. They are droll, gentle, curious creatures who look as if they have sprung fully realized from the imagination of Dr. Seuss. About half the size of a llama, alpacas are covered in copious amounts of thick fleece. They have two-toed feet with soft pads, floppy topknots and enormous eyes fringed by long lashes.
Alpacas are utterly absurd and they are also positively beautiful.
It is this unlikely combination, more than their practical use as wool bearers, that makes them so enchanting. I like the way they interact. They're very communicative animals. Hoffman's alpacas don't seem to mind that, instead of grazing the alta plano , the high, empty plains of the Andes, they are living the easy life in rural 95060. They don't mind much, in fact, as long as they have each other.