Strict quarantine for llamas

Press, 8 October 1988, Page 33

Strict quarantine for llamas

By DAVID LUCAS New Zealand quarantine authorities will enforce stringent health procedures during the importation of several thousand llamas and alpacas from Chile during the next few months.

A comprehensive testing programme will guard against the imported animals introducing exotic diseases, in particular foot and mouth, to New Zealand.

Although Chile is regarded officially as being free of foot-and-mouth,

neighbouring countries still suffer from outbreaks.

Dr Chris Boland, of MAFQuaI, said the animals had been tested for disease during quarantine in Chile and would be tested again during shipment. The results of the second test would be available before the vessels reached New Zealand.

On arrival the llamas and alpacas will be kept in quarantine on Soames Island or in ships in Well-

ington Harbour for up to another six weeks.

After successfully getting through the quarantine period of more than 60 days in Chile it was highly unlikely that any animals would return a positive test during the voyage, said Mr Boland. If there was a positive result, that shipment would not be allowed into New Zealand.

Chile’s last reported outbreak of foot-and-mouth was in August last year. As a member of an international disease-mon-itoring organisation, Chile is required to notify that organisation immediately if there is an outbreak of a serious disease. Because its last notification was more than 12 months ago, Chile was considered officially free of foot-and-mouth, said Dr Boland.

The shipments of llamas and alpacas are being sent from the Santiago area by several different livestock importers. The exact number of animals involved was not

known because some shipments had not yet been finalised, but it was expected to total “a few thousand,” said Dr Boland. The first shipment was expected to arrive in December or January. The importers had asked the Ministry of Agriculture not to release their names for commercial reasons. Dr Boland said the animals were likely to be distributed over much of New Zealand.

The existing New Zealand population of llamas, alpacas and crossbreds is about 250, including an estimated 12 alpacas. The market value of llamas is about $lO,OOO and alpacas about $15,000. The fibre of alpacas is reported to have sold for between $2OO and $4OO a kilogram. Early last year, plans by Arpac International (now defunct) to import 500 alpacas from Chile were halted by a foot-and-mouth outbreak shortly before the animals went into quarantine.