Natives of South America, alpacas are on the increase in this country. Happiest in herds - whether large or small - they are gentle and intriguing animals. Each has a thoroughly individual face and the range of fleece colours is enormous, going from white to black with all the natural shades in between. Camels come top of the tree size-wise, followed by lamas, then alpacas and, smallest of all, vicunas.

Even hard-nosed commercial farmers admit to being very fond of these unique and endearing animals. You can’t eat them, which is a great attraction for the growing number of vegetarians in this country, but you can use their amazingly soft fleece. Comparable in quality to cashmere but about ten times as hardwearing, alpaca is second in strength only to silk. Its hollow fibre gives warmth without weight, and is much in demand by handspinners everywhere.

Many of the 10,000 or so animals now in the UK belong to smallholders, or simply individuals with a paddock or a field or two. Many are simply pets (but don’t keep them singly). One added benefit of alpacas is that I reckon it is almost impossible to feel stressed around these gentle and curious animals. A bit like Pooh, they are inclined to hum if troubled.