Luka Spiritweaver
ILR # 231252
gelding b. 6-15-2000 . . . d. 03.29.2022
JM Rory x CL Loop D Loop
click on the photo to see more pictures of Luka on ipernity
Luka was a phenotypic silky-type woolly llama (genotypically crossbred), about 44" at the withers.
Luka’s parents were purchased at auction by a soft-hearted sheep owner who couldn’t bear to see the two llamas going to an uncertain fate, likely pet food. What the sheep owner didn't know was that the female was pregnant (hence Luka’s sister, Tia) or that llamas don't have seasonal heat cycles (the mistake that resulted in Luka).
Luka was not conformationally suited for work nor were his gaits conducive to athletic endeavors. His abundant, soft, silky, and uniform fleece was a handspinner’s delight for woven projects (including next-to-the-skin garments), and Luka donated many years of fleece towards Gwen’s self-educationl in lama fiber preparation and use.
Luka also had some important public relations jobs here: He provided our many visitors and students with an excellent example of a phenotypic, non-shedding woolly llama, and he modeled health-based shearing practices — a very important job in a world that still shears fiber llamas for fashion, ignoring what’s good for them (and wasting a lot of perfectly useable fleece besides).
Luka liked activities that had a balance of security and interesting things, and of course he loved green grass and grain. He enjoyed introducing wrestling games to whoever was our latest weanling male cria until failing mobility finally relegated him to living in the maternity pasture instead, where he became every baby's grumpy-but-tolerant uncle until his passing from increasing infirmities of old age.
"Luka" is an uncommon nickname for several names that all mean "light" in Latin. Luka was both light-colored and physically lightweight in comparison to our working classic stock (fortunately, the latter didn't bother him in the least -- he just waltzed up to the chow like a big llama). "Spirit" honored both Luka's gentle and cooperative nature and the etherial quality of his fine fiber; "Weaver" was a reference to the ideal and intended end use for that fiber as well as the way Luka wove his gentle spirit into our llama world.