## 1 Introduction  
The sheep industry in Australia has been successful both in meat and fine wool production. However there has been a need for on-farm management strategies to increase lamb survival, with lamb mortalities contributing to significant reproductive wastefulness in the Australian sheep industry [1]. Managing livestock predation has been a key focus of industry stakeholders in order to reduce lamb mortality and reproductive wastage [2]. A number of control measures to decrease predation by animals such as foxes and wild dogs are employed by livestock producers, including poisoning, trapping and improved fencing [3]. Another predator deterrent strategy employed globally has been the utilization of guardian animals, such as alpacas. These animals have been used to protect domesticated species including sheep and poultry, in countries such as South America, Australia and the United States of America against predators such as foxes [4]. Alpacas are known to exhibit aggressive behaviours towards threats including stamping at, or on, and chasing away predators [4; 5]. Alpacas, which have a head height vantage point, also exhibit high levels of vigilance which aids in the detection of potential threats in their environment [5]. Additionally, they emit a high pitched alarm call which may deter predators and can alert surrounding livestock and property owners of a perceived threat [5]. In Australia castrated male alpacas are usually used to guard lambing flocks at a stocking rate of one alpaca per 100 sheep and no more than three alpacas are to protect a single herd as they tend to flock together rather than with the livestock they are guarding [4]. However, there have been few Australian studies investigating the mechanisms related to guardian alpaca effectiveness, apart from that of [PERSON] and [PERSON] [6] who indicated that the presence of alpacas within a flock may improve lamb survival rates in the order of an estimated 13% more weaned lambs per lambing season. To better understand how these animals are effective in providing flock protection we first need to gain knowledge of the behavioural and interactive mechanisms behind livestock guarding. This includes quantifying the range of behaviours alpacas exhibit while cohabiting with the livestock they are designated to protect. One method of quantifying behavioural change in a field environment is with the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) devices that are used to estimate the positional location of monitored animals [7]. This technology has been reported to be a useful tool in monitoring animal behaviours including changes in diurnal activity patterns [8]. By applying this technology it is possible to examine movement patterns based on GNSS parameters such as distance and speed [9; 10]. GNSS devices are also used to track livestock activity in the form of Livestock Residency Index (LRI) maps which record locations in the field where livestock spend the majority of their time at different periods of the day [11]. An additional method of quantifying animal behaviour is by direct observation to define a behavioural repertoire and activity budget. From these observations, behavioural ethograms providing a comprehensive catalogue of individual behaviours can be compiled which identify the range and frequency of behaviours over a designated time period. This present study was therefore designed to examine and quantify alpaca and sheep behaviour in two phases to better understand how these animals behave while cohabitating with each other. Phase one aimed to assess activity levels and diurnal patterns of both cohabiting alpacas and lambing ewes to provide an overall understanding of how these species behave while in the same environment. Phase two of the study aimed to develop an in-depth behavioural ethogram which included a behavioural repertoire of alpacas co-existing with lambing ewes in the field.