ARI - Alpaca Registry Inc

The Story of Alpacas and ARI

You must, one day, approach a herd of alpaca in the wee hours of the morning. When they lift their heads and fix you with their warm, russet gaze, stand still, and listen. Listen beyond the chuffing of their breath, the rustling of the hay, the humming of the cria suckling. If you listen past all that, you’ll swear you hear them “thinking” at you. Thinking at each other, sizing you up and discussing your presence, maybe, probably even, chuckling at you. It’s an odd feeling. More than just a peaceful, communing-with-nature type feeling. It’s that little tingle you used to get when you were a kid catching fireflies on a sultry, summer evening. Remember the feeling that just beyond the forest edge, fairies were watching?  In a word, alpacas seem “magical.”

Talk to any alpaca farmer and they’ll tell you the same thing: There’s something . . . “special” about these creatures. Couple that with the fact that alpaca breeding is a very lucrative business, appealing to people from all walks of life, is it any wonder that the popularity of alpaca farming has seen a dramatic increase in the past decade?

For over 5000 years, the alpaca has been raised as a domesticated animal throughout South America. But here, in the United States, they’re still novel in comparison. In 1980 the first 10 alpacas to reside outside of zoos were imported into North America. Both the cute, fluffy Huacaya, the more well known of the two types of alpacas, and the elegant-looking, sleek Suri alpaca began gracing our shores only a few short decades ago. Brought here not just for their “magical” quality, both types of alpacas have always been prized for their thick, soft fleeces. Known for centuries as "The Fiber of The Gods," quality, versatility, and rarity are some of the factors that have kept alpaca fiber growing in demand over the years. In the fashion world it is considered to be one of the most exclusive fibers, competing only with wool, cashmere, and mohair. Alpaca fiber can be used in a variety of ways, from as sheer as the finest silks, to as thick and chunky as tweeds and wool. It dyes easily, makes the warmest batting, the softest felt, spins like a dream, and can be mixed with other fibers to combine textures and beauty.

Prior to 1995, the Alpaca Registry existed in various forms as a part of other organizations. In 1995, the Alpaca Registry became incorporated and began its existence as an independent organization. By the end of 2005 it was estimated there were around 80,000 alpacas in the United States. And they still command top dollar in the livestock industry, thanks to a group of forward thinking people who sought to maintain the value of these enchanting animals. Since its inception, Alpaca Registry Inc.(ARI), has maintained and administered a database housing the scientifically-qualified genealogy, blood typing/DNA and ownership records of alpacas primarily in North America.

ARI immediately mandated blood-typing as a requisite for registration. At that time, less than two thousand alpacas existed in North America. Most were recent arrivals, without documentable pedigrees or known bloodlines. The Alpaca Registry was created specifically to protect the alpaca gene pool in North America by identifying alpacas and establishing a scientific and documented lineage.

Just a few short months after the Alpaca Registry was created, nearly every alpaca in North America had been blood-typed and entered into the Registry database. Estimates put the compliance rate at 95 percent. Afterward, only alpacas whose blood types proved to be compatible with their registered parents would be admitted to the Registry automatically. Alpacas without registered parents (usually newly imported) could for a time enter the Registry through a screening process. However, that time period was limited, and the Registry was closed in 1998.

When it first began, the management of the Registry database was contracted with outside vendors. But as the registry continued to grow, and blood-typing turned to DNA- typing in 1998, the membership saw the need to bring management of the database in-house. In late 2004, ARI opened its own Administrative Office in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Today, ARI serves as a valuable storehouse of information for North American alpaca breeders. Its primary job is to gather and maintain accurate genealogical records, focusing on the expansion and accuracy of those records. Up-to-date owner and member lists are maintained and new accounts created for new owners and breeders. Applications for registration of alpacas are processed and scientific testing is coordinated with an independent DNA-testing laboratory before alpacas are added to the ARI database of registered alpacas. This ensures that no alpacas are registered by ARI unless they can be scientifically verified to two ARI registered parents.

At the end of 2005, ARI had records on over 90,000 alpacas in several countries worldwide, although the vast majority (over 90%) of those herds reside within the United States. Thousands of owners actively conducted transactions with the ARI in 2005, and as the popularity of alpacas continues to grow in North America, it’s expected that the number of owners and their transactions will grow exponentially.

In addition to the task of maintaining the growing database, ARI also manages lists of animals owned or sold by breeders, and Certificates of Registration are printed and provided to owners displaying up to five generations of ancestry. The ARI staff responds to telephone inquiries, to online contacts via email, and to letters. In addition, online queries available to ARI members can provide all recorded and qualified ancestry for any alpaca in the database regardless of the number of generations.

Appropriately enough, those that make up ARI are those who benefit most from its existence. All owners of a living, ARI-registered alpaca are, by default, members of ARI and receive ARI related information, including ARI Policy and Procedure and Bylaw changes.

ARI members can also elect to become a voting member. Voting members are entitled to free database queries and to vote for board positions, changes to bylaws, and the usual governing issues. Each Voting Member receives ARI mailings, which include ballots, surveys, and communications.

An enormous effort has been put forth by the individuals that make up ARI to maintain the magic that alpacas bring into the world. The Registry is constantly adding services for owners and breeders. ARI is constantly working to improve the services available to its members. Recently, ARI has been progressively adding additional services available via the internet, including printable forms, electronic registrations and transfers as well as query capabilities. ARI also serves as a research center for members wishing extended pedigree information on multiple generations, progeny lists, country of origin, age and color - invaluable tools in a breeding program. Statistical data provided by the ARI enables the entire alpaca community to monitor industry growth patterns. In fact, the only thing the ARI HASN’T been able to do to date is provide DNA positive proof that alpacas ARE enchanted. Who knows?  That may be yet to come.