Most people think of a llama as a source of meat, a producer of wool, as a pack animal or sometimes as a pet. This particular camelid was guarding farm animals against predators (and photographers) near Maroon Bells in Aspen. Another misconception is their origin. They first appeared in the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. Then they became extinct there after migrating to South America during the Ice Age. Today, there are about 150,000 domestic llamas in the United States.
