lost creek llamas

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Checking in on Billllama Readers of the August 1992 issue [of The Backcountry Llama] may remember the story of Billllama, a formerly abused pack animal, and the recounting of his rehabilitation, culminating in Bill's first recreational pack trip. Occasionally I am queried about Bill's progress, and so I thought that readers might enjoy an update. As we expanded our volunteer gravel hauling "crew," I kept debating whether Bill could handle it. The work itself, of course, would not be an issue. Terrain has never proved a problem for Bill, and I could easily control the weight of his loads. The question was the atmosphere. Many strangers would be milling about, making noise and perhaps not acting appropriately -- a situation that mirrored very closely the one in which Bill's former abuse had occurred. After much thought, I decided that Bill deserved a chance to overcome his fears. I would control as much of the situation as possible, and Bill could stay at the parking site with a personal human guard if necessary. So one frozen day in February, Bill came along. Bill was obviously frightened by the commotion when he arrived, and I made a point to introduce him and give a brief summary of his history to the other llama volunteers (David and Marilyn Greenwalt), Ranger Sue Baker, and any interested workers. Bill wanted to velcro himself to me, and I convinced him to hug Ranger Sue as well (which she seemed to enjoy). I allowed others to pet Bill on the neck if they wished, but told them to otherwise keep a respectful distance and to talk kindly to him, using his name. On the trail, I encouraged people to talk to Bill as we passed. "Good job, Bill," was the example I used, and it caught on. Throughout the day, most people were happy to pause in their work to praise or encourage Bill by name. A few obviously found this silly and remained silent. When passing these groups, Bill would tense, scuttle up behind Dusty, and hide. I elected not to correct his position until we were well past, figuring that he was in the wrong frame of mind to "hear" my message, and that by continuing on, at least I wouldn't add to Bill's fear -- perhaps then it might diminish with time. After returning home, Bill's opinion of me had not changed for the worse, but instead had warmed again. Since then, Bill has been a permanent member of my "gravel crew" string. Though he still skitters around when silent or fast-moving people come too close, he accepts the rest of the job, including unloading by strangers -- the latter with some reservations. Overall, however, I am gratified once again for my patience and forethought by helping Bill, now pushing 16, to take another significant step toward a happier life. And Dusty and I have a rare treat -- a caboose that can keep up! "Checking in on Billllama" originally appeared in the December 1994 issue of The Backcountry Llama Newsletter. Return to Bill's page Return to Llama Rescue and Rehabilitation Return to Lost Creek Llamas home page