Spread the llama love
Find a furry friend at Geo Caldwell’s ranch in Sonora
"Llamas are easygoing, versatile and simlpy magical."
Ears up and slightly sloped forward, tail down – the llama lady that is examining Geo eye to eye seems to be alert, but pretty relaxed. When you watch the two of them facing each other you feel there’s a deep level of understanding on both sides.
Where?
How?What?
Llamas of Circle Home
Geo Caldwell
15301 Tuolumne Road
Sonora, CA 95370
Llama packing tours, llama table runners, llama carpets, llama fiber, llama paintings, llama manure – you’ll find anything llama at Geo Caldwell’s ranch. And if you bring some time for a cup of tea you’ll get some great stories too.
Call for an appointment:
+1 (209) 603-5280 or
send an email to llamalure@yahoo.com
Geo loves llamas. And there’s nothing he enjoys more than sharing this love with others. Geo takes his animals to meet people – at local schools, in nursing homes, city parks and on his own ranch in Sonora, CA. Today, I am one of those people. Fred, the youngest animal in the herd, has to learn how to board Geo’s minivan. Without further ado Geo passes me Fred’s leash: „Get in through the back and then out again through the side door. But watch your heads!“ Well, let’s go then.
Dauntlessly I start climbing into the vehicle, cajoling Fred into following me. First the little llama hesitates, but then he dares a leap and lands safely in the van. Fred throws a glance at the tasty back side of the driver’s seat, then we move to the side door ducking our heads. I jump off, Fred is right behind me, good boy! I guess both of us deserve a treat now.
Obviously, little Fred has confidence in me. Before we had started our climbing adventure we had exchanged hellos the llama way. With the characteristic reservation Fred had carefully nosed at my face and – in default of other options – I had done the same with his. Quite pleasant actually. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Geo has been working with llamas for more than 20 years now. Even without breeding his own llama babies, the herd of the 58-year-old keeps on growing, because whenever there’s a llama in need, it seems to find its way to Circle Home in Sonora. Boredom is not a problem among the animals. Besides eating, romping around and relaxing some of them have a real job. Geo trains selected llamas to be packers who go on hiking trips with tourists – in the near surroundings or in the mountain range of the Sierra Nevada, where you find one of the most beautiful stretches of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Llamas are also a big hit with nursing homes. „It’s quite a picture when the elevator doors open and then there’s a llama walking out into the hallway. Generally there’s not too much going on at the nursing homes. And most of the seniors don’t get a lot of physical contact, so they really enjoy touching and hugging the llamas“, Geo explains.
Fortunately he doesn’t have to worry about his llamas leaving any less likeable marks in the car or the buildings. When he’s on the road with his llamas Geo regularly stops for bathroom breaks. All he has to do is spread some llama manure on the grass and the animals will poop only in this designated area, for they are naturally housebroken and know how to behave.
To Geo llamas are magical creatures. Once he gets started, he talks with great enthusiasm about the long shared history of humans and llamas in the Andes. For the early Andean peoples llamas and alpacas did not only have a material value, but also a spiritual significance. On the one hand the herd animals supplied them with wool, leather, milk, meat and fat, on the other hand they were worshipped as symbols of fertility. The Inca ruins of Choqequirao, Machu Picchu's "little sister“ in the Peruvian mountains, are said to have been built in reverence for the holy animal.
It’s self-understood for Geo not to sell his precious animals to just anybody, but to keep a close eye on the prospective buyers. "We have mountain lions and bears here in California, that can be a risk for llamas. And of course a llama is not a cute toy that you buy for fun when you feel like it“, Geo explains.
But even he won’t get in the way of true llama love. If you discover your passion for the gentle animals, but can’t take responsibility for the keeping and care of a llama, Geo has something for you – his „adopt a llama“ program. For a low monthly fee, you can sponsor your favorite llama. Geo and he and his dedicated team will take care of it and keep you posted about her life on the ranch with emails, videos and photos.
If you want more information on "adopt a llama", please email Geo at llamalure@yahoo.com, he'll be happy to answer your questions.
Impressum/legal notice