AN alpaca barged into his owner’s home and took up residence in the kitchen – because he couldn’t handle the Scottish weather.
Alpacas can cope with the extremes of altitude and weather experienced in their native Andes but a dreich day at sea level in North Berwick proved too much for Jacob.
Hilarious photos show what happened when the soggy nine-year-old quit the garden at his East Lothian home and let himself in.
In one of Anne Scott’s brilliant pictures, Jacob, can be seen poking his head through the vestibule doors.
In the next, he can be seen, wandering inside, and in a third, he is walking around the kitchen, next to a central counter.
The images were uploaded to Twitter yesterday by Anne’s daughter Sarah, with the caption: “It’s raining so mum let her alpaca in the house.”
The tweet has been met with delight online, receiving over 1,000 likes.
Many also replied with adoration for Jacob.
Louise Cheese said: “I’ve decided I want an Alpaca as well as a cat.”
Adam Van Der Valk wrote: “Absolutely brilliant! Your mother is an awesome person!”
Whilst Ryan James added: “This is the best thing I have ever seen.”
Speaking about Jacob, Anne said: “Jacob often pokes his head through the door of the house, but in the weather yesterday, it was the first time he’s come straight in to the kitchen.
“He came in of his own accord. He’s fine with me in the house, and also with dogs, although admittedly he is a bit nervous when other people are inside.
“We live on a smallholding , with horses and sheep, and alpacas are useful for chasing foxes away, although Jacob mainly just eats. Three more alpacas are coming to join him soon, but at the moment he’s the only one.
“He’s never been in the kitchen before, and it’s a fair walk from outside, it was really quite brave of him.”
The llama-like creatures are usually found at altitudes of around 4,000m in southern Peru, western Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile.
They can withstand sub-zero temperatures, although last July it was reported that 279,000 South American alpacas became ill or died because freak weather led to tenperatures below -20 degrees celsius.
Rainfall in the Andes is typically 1061 mm per year, which is actually more than most of Eastern Scotland, which gets around 870 mm per year.
