UPDATE: 5pm, 8th July 2020
All four llamas have been found safe:
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A search is underway in Kilmacrennan today for four missing llamas who have disappeared from their farm.
Two adults and two young llamas went missing from the Lough Keel area this Wednesday morning.
At 6ft tall, you couldn’t miss the unusual adult llamas on the road.
Guanaco Llamas at their Kilmacrennan Farm
Owner Mark Byrne of Byrnes Mobile Zoo is searching far and wide to locate them. It is hoped that the llamas may be searching for new grass in nearby fields, but there has been no sign of them since they were last spotted this morning.
The four llamas are part of a herd of guanaco llamas, which are very rare locally. They each have distinctive markings. There are two brown and white adult females, one cria (baby) which is small and brown and white and another young llama that is black/brown with white markings on its face.
Mr Byrne said the situation is more unusual because the mothers have left their babies (known as crias).
One of the missing mothers and her cria
Guanaco Llamas at their Kilmacrennan Farm
“Any animal that would break out would stay in their local vicinity but what is strange this time is the mothers have left their cria behind them. They would never do that,” Mark said.
Collectively the animals are worth around €4,000 and there are growing fears that they may have been taken. Gardaí have also been notified of today’s search.
If you have seen the animals or have any helpful information please call Mark Byrne on 0879051854
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