Let me preface this article by stating my name is Alex. A doe not a deer. I’m a native of Oklahoma. I’m also the new intern for The Lost Ogle. I'm not sure what that means, but I’ll be writing about random news around Oklahoma. For this week, I did some heavy-duty investigative reporting about llamas....
I love llamas. They're my house sigil. But in all my years of growing up in Oklahoma, the only time I thought I would ever have the opportunity to see a llama was either at Safari Joe’s off Highway 69, or for that one study abroad trip I couldn’t afford, in college or subsequently thereafter, to Peru.
Apparently after the ice storms hit last winter, a couple of stray llamas escaped and made their way to a couple’s home in Grady County. Obviously, these llamas were confused when I had given them directions to my house, which is three hours away from where they were found.
Via KFOR:
It’s been nearly half a year since ice storms hit our state, but one family in Grady County is still dealing with something the weather brought in - a couple of unexpected guests.
They said a couple of llamas showed up along with the winter weather and have been on their property ever since.
"Right by the driveway, because there's a water bowl,” said Amanda Moore.
That's where the llamas usually hang out but, in the hot Oklahoma sun, the furry exotics are somewhere in the pasture under a shady clump of trees.
"They're pretty chubby. They're healthy," Moore said. "It's just they're getting hot. They need to be shaved and taken care of."
However, there is a problem.
Moore and her family members are not the owners, and the llamas showed up one day without warning.
About six months ago, during an ice storm, the family said they looked outside, and not only was their property covered in ice, but there were a couple of strays roaming around, and they never left.
"We lost power for 14 days altogether,” Moore said. "Yeah, we gained llamas."
To Oklahoman’s losing power during deemed ‘winter months’ with llamas roaming in the pastures may seem like The Purge, however others may think of it like they were studying abroad in Peru. How do you think I felt when the llamas never showed up to my house without warning?
But, they've finally had enough and called the sheriff.
"It's a state statute that Oklahoma has. It's called the estray law,” said Grady County Sheriff Jim Weir. “It usually involves cattle and horses, but I guess llamas would fall under this statute, also."
It didn't take long for Weir to track down the owner who agreed to grab a feed bucket and a few friends and lure his long lost animals back home.
He's lucky though, because legally the folks who cared for them all this time could get compensated for their trouble.
"If they board it and water it and feed it, when the owner shows up, he can be charged for those fees before he gets them back,” Weir said.
Well, that’s great! I also lost out on a couple of big bucks of the deal. If only I had lured these loving animals correctly by praying to the llama gods. Next winter I will just pack them all in my van, the old-fashioned way. At least the llamas were headed in the right direction, unlike that damn alligator that is chilling in Lake Texoma.
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