In one neighborhood of downtown Tokyo, early-morning runners, parents pushing strollers, and a couple of alpacas out for their daily constitutional walk break up the stillness of the streets.
Before returning to their home at an indoor petting zoo, “Alpaca Land,” Akane and Satsuki jog around streets past stores and temples while being led by their caretakers. They also “cut” grass in a local park.
These woolly South American natives get prepared for their day after a round of brushing and combing. Visitors pay 1,000 yen ($7) for 30 minutes to pet, cuddle, and bury their faces in their fleece.
A visitor, Nana Ede, said, “The alpaca was so fluffy that when I put my face on its back, its fleece covered half of my face and it was so cute.”
The 5-year-old alpacas’ attraction, according to manager Shinya Ide (no relation), is due to the fact that just seeing them is calming, and stroking them is much more so.
“Alpacas are naturally very nervous and timid animals, so when people approach them, they may spit or run away, making them difficult animals to interact with,” he said.
“But these two are trained and have naturally laid-back personalities, so they are accustomed to people now and interact well.”
