Brighton couple to send alpaca fiber to gulf

    The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that has been going on since late April has prompted people around the country to look for ways of soaking up the oil. Some people are sending human hair and animal fur to be gulf, which will be stuffed into pantyhose that will collect the oil from the surface of the water. Harold and Louise Frakes, who live just west of Brighton, have agreed to send fiber taken from alpacas that they have on their ranch. 

    The Frakeses have a total of nine alpacas on their property known as ?Dutch Creek Gardens.? Alpacas are native to South America and resemble a small llama. Historically, they have been bred for their coat, which is not fur but rather fiber. Harold and Louise said that a man is coming to shear their alpacas on Monday, and that shortly thereafter the alpacas? fiber will be sent to the Gulf of Mexico.

    Harold said he got his first alpacas in 2006. 

    ?We started with two, Raven and Rozelle, both of which were bred females,? said Harold. ?Then I bought Mr. Bojangles, so we had three right away.? 

    The Frakeses have names for all of their alpacas. They said they have let their four grandchildren pick out the names. Other alpaca names that the Frakeses and their grandchildren have chosen include Star Gazer, Storm Chaser, Morning Light and Sierra.

    ?We really need about five breeding females, which we now have. Next year, we will make a serious effort to sell them [the offspring], but we?ll keep enough so we don?t have to go out and buy more.?

    Harold said his three adult females will give birth within a month, so he and Louise will have three more alpacas to tend to. Harold remarked that the highest number of alpacas he would want to take care of at one time is 15.

    Harold commented that the alpacas are mostly docile creatures and that they present no danger to humans. He said that even when a male is chasing a female, the male is not interested in picking a fight with a human who gets in his way.

    ?If you just stop and stand in front of him, he?ll stop immediately,? said Harold. ?He won?t try to knock you down.?

    ?They hardly ever try to challenge a fence,? added Louise.

For the full story, see the May 28 edition of The Washington Evening Journal