The owners returned to retrieve the llama and thanked deputies for helping coax her down the trail safely
Credit: Larimer County Sheriff’s Office
NEED TO KNOW
- Officers with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to respond to reports of an abandoned llama on the Comanche Peak Trail
- A deputy found the llama hitched to a tree in Colorado’s Roosevelt National Forest after a hiker reported her
- Efforts to lead the llama back were slow as she repeatedly stopped to rest and resisted moving further
Sometimes it’s nice to sit and enjoy the view — especially for one llama in Colorado.
That became the case when officers from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office were called to the Comanche Peak Trail in the Roosevelt National Forest on Friday, Aug. 7, in response to reports of an abandoned llama.
“Sure enough, deputies llocated the llounging llady chilling comfortably in a wooded area where she was hitched to a tree,” the sheriff’s office jokingly wrote on Facebook.
Credit: Larimer County Sheriff’s Office
The Comanche Peak Wilderness ranges in elevation from 8,000 to 12,702 feet and is home to mountain lions, moose, coyotes and black bears, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
With the llama believed to be alone, Deputy Maxwell and her law-enforcement horse, Deputy Dale, tried to lead the llama back to civilization, but she was “not interested in this plan.”
Authorities said they managed to get the llama 30 feet down the trail, but then she decided to rest for 45 minutes.
After attempting to coax her late into the evening, they managed to make it over a mile, but “the llama was hellbent on camping for the night.”
Making the best of the situation, Maxwell decided to let her rest and left her with food and water, opting to return early the next morning.
Upon returning, Maxwell discovered that the llama’s owners had returned, and shared that the llama had refused to leave the location during a hike.
“They left her hitched and checked on her periodically until they could find a way to lure her down,” the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office explained on Facebook. “The owners were pleasantly surprised at Deputy Maxwell and Dale’s progress in getting this girl down the trail. After a laborious effort, they finally coaxed her back to civilization.”
Credit: Larimer County Sheriff’s Office
The sheriff’s office said they appreciated that the concerned hiker reported the llama had possibly been abandoned and advised the owners to leave a note or notify law enforcement about the situation in the future.
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“We’re glad our fluffy friend found her way home safely,” the Facebook post said, noting also that the llama’s owners were advised to “lleave a note or notify llaw enforcement should the llama stage an impromptu backcountry bivouac in the future.”
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