Wildlife sightings are not new to the San Francisco Bay Area – where stray cats, birds, squirrels, and even mountain lions. But alpacas? It’s very unlikely. Thus, seeing two of these animals running loose surprised a neighborhood in Oakland Hills on Friday, SFGATE reported.
Named Boogie and Woogie, the two alpacas flee their unlocked space in an Oakland Hills residence just after 9:30 in the morning. They roamed free at the neighborhood park and proceeded into the residential spaces, which prompted questioning looks from the residents.
The two animals went onto a driveway of one of the residents at around 12:00 p.m. The woman owner became resourceful and used a rope to keep them in the position before informing the sighting to the Oakland Animal Services.
“The alpacas were just peacefully hanging out, and all the neighbors came to look at them,” a local real estate agent, Tobias Riday-White, who owns the alpacas said.
He carried the alpacas into his vehicle and returned them to the locked enclosure in his home. He made sure that the area was secured.
“I think it’s pretty common that dogs and cats are loose in urban areas, but it’s not often you see alpacas,” he said, sharing how the entire neighborhood helped each other to return his animals.
Riday-White said the animals are under his family’s care for not more than a couple of years. They also raise ducks, chickens, and a flourishing garden.
His family first had alpacas to take care of, he said. They cut the soft fur of their grass-eating animals for clothing purposes.
He also told the neighborhood that their elder alpaca and Woogie’s father, Boogie, is looking for a mate.
