So today, I came back from shoveling goat shit and almost
fainted when I saw a dead alpaca lying near our bedroom. Apparently Jack, the
dog, killed it and so we needed to skin it to feed it to the bear and condors
and it was David’s job to skin it. David is 23 years old and is Marcelo’s
cousin (or nephew- I’m still not sure). He lives on the farm and is a really
nice, strong guy who doesn’t flinch for anything.
Anyways, David strung the alpaca carcass up on a high beam
near the hens and asked if we wanted to help. I was very reluctant to even look
at it because I figured I would faint, but when I saw it, it was oddly
beautiful. Taryn helped David as Maddy drew and I took pictures. The alpaca was
all muscle and hardly any fat which created beautiful patterns of red and
purple veins all over its body. Once the feet, head, and fur were removed,
David let it hang there to dry for a few days.
I know many of you are probably gagging and thinking “how
disgusting.” I thought I would have that reaction, but helping in this process
made me realize that death is a natural part of life and when one animal dies,
it helps the others live. I decided not to include a picture of the skinning to
be respectful to the alpaca.
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