Lost Creek Nubin Calliope
ILR # 109797 (crossbred subregistry)
spayed female b. 11-21-1992 . . . d. Aug 2014
Ranger Dusty x Nubin Sandie
Calliope was Dusty's super-athletic daugher out of a half-guanaco, half-pacovicuña female (who was sold to us as a purebred guanaco, and registered as a purebred llama no less). She was 41.25" at the withers (taller than her 39" mother).
Calliope began her show career with a bang, turning in outstanding performances in obstacle classes. At puberty, she made it clear she was too old for kiddie nonsense.
We chose to spay Calliope for a number of reasons. The primary reason was her energy level, fast reactions, and intelligence (increased due to her "wild" guanaco and vicuña ancestry) made her overwhelming to handle for most people. We weren't about to pass that along. A second reason was her coat — dense and nonshedding. These two genetically dominant traits greatly outweighed the increased athleticism and energy that we'd hoped to pick up from the cross. Surgical separation from her hormones did improve Calliope's behavior, but she still remained on the challenging side.
Calliope had an outsized desire for mental stimulation, and her vicuña side could not tolerate "too many" llamas in the same pasture with her. She spent the rest of her days eagerly roaming a vast forested hillside with buddies Olallie and Kokanee until she apparently misjudged a fence, became entangled, and passed away.
A calliope is a circus organ, and also the cheerful, lively music that eminates from it. It struck Gwen as a great llama name, and indeed Calliope was lively!