A close-up view of a black llama with white markings in an outdoor enclosure, surrounded by natural elements like hanging ropes, a trailer, and a blue storage container. 9:06
Animal Planet channel icon Animal PlanetOriginal creator 64K views Save

Princess the alpaca gets her mom back

Years ago, Lee Asher rescued an alpaca named Princess. Now he and a friend are on the road to pick up her mother. more

The mother is Allison, and she comes with a baby son. Lee runs The Asher House, a 25-acre sanctuary in Oregon with rescue dogs, donkeys, pigs and a goat, and the plan is to bring them both there so Princess can be with her mom again.

There's another reason, and his name is Frankie. Lee loves his llama, but Frankie is socially awkward and still won't let Lee touch him. Having Princess around has calmed him down. Lee figures that with Allison and the baby there too, Frankie will be happier, and so will Princess.

The last time Lee was here, Allison saw them take her daughter away. Now she has a new baby to protect, and she stays on high alert. So Lee goes to meet the baby's father first. Then Allison surprises him. "I can't believe she's letting me do this," he says.

A dark-furred alpaca with a light-colored face stands near a wooden fence under a partly cloudy sky. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Allison is on high alert at first, guarding her new baby, but she soon lets Lee close.

The father is less pleased. He spits, and one lands in Lee's ear. Allison, though, buries her head in Lee's chest. Farm animals don't like anything above them, he says, so that was a beautiful moment of trust.

Next comes the trailer. Allison doesn't want to be led, and it doesn't feel right to Lee either, so he picks her up and carries her in. The average alpaca weighs 140 pounds. His friend brings the baby in after her, and once she can see him, her breathing eases and her heart rate comes down.

At the sanctuary, Lee admits he has no idea how this will go. He's hoping they remember each other. They open the gate and let the alpacas walk out on their own, and Princess wanders over to meet them.

A close-up view of a black llama with white markings in an outdoor enclosure, surrounded by natural elements like hanging ropes, a trailer, and a blue storage container. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Years ago, Lee Asher rescued an alpaca named Princess.

Then come the soft little noises, passing back and forth. "They're communicating right now," Lee says. Princess still remembers her mom, and Allison has missed her daughter.

Three alpacas stand near a fence. One is black, one is white with spots, and one is mostly white. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Allison and her son settle in beside Princess at The Asher House.

Lee calls it one of the best days of his life, and it's only a quarter past nine in the morning. "Nothing's perfect, but this went perfectly," he says. Then, to the new arrivals: "Welcome home, guys."

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