Welcoming the Newest Member of the Llama Herd

My husband and I were coming home via some backroads, when we drove past the local llama farm. At a quick glance, I could see a large group of llamas in the field, and what looked like a much SMALLER llama among them. A new baby!???

I shouted to my husband, who stopped the car on the corner so I could hop out for about a dozen quick photos. Yes, indeed, there is a new baby llama (also called a cria), and the entire herd did seem very pleased and proud of it, as well as protective.

There's a second shot in the extras, and if you look at the face of that one llama in the center (maybe it was last year's cria?), standing just behind the new baby, you will see that perhaps not EVERYone thought it was such a marvelous occasion.   ;-)

I looked up cria on the Internet and found this useful bit of information: 

"Llama crias are typically born with the whole herd gathering around (only the females are present, as the males are considered a threat) in an attempt to protect against potential predators. Llamas give birth standing, and the process is usually relatively quick and problem-free, over in less than 30 minutes. Most births take place between 8 a.m. and noon, during the relatively warmer daylight hours. This may increase cria survival by reducing fatalities due to hypothermia during cold Andean nights."

So there is some information about llama babies for all of us. And now, let's join the crowd and help welcome the newest member of the llama herd!

The soundtrack song is this one: the Doors, with Hello, I Love You.

Bonus! Additional llama blips, taken at the same llama farm:
Llama Surprise!
Llamas, Party of Ten, Please
Llama!
When You're a Jet . . .
Llama Kerfuffle: Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting!
A Gathering of Llamas
Llama: Strike a Pose
In Which There Are Llamas