Here's why alpacas are getting the love — from the UN to Alberta Open Farm Days

A sign on the fence outside Leanne and Kevin Sept's alpaca farm warns that anyone calling their animals "llamas" will be fined $5.

The sign is in jest but Kevin said there are big differences between the two species.

"Weight-wise, our biggest male is 170 pounds, and a llama would probably be in that 400-to-500 range when they're full grown."

The ears are a giveaway, he added: "Llamas have banana-shaped ears and alpacas have ears shaped like spears."

It's the kind of information the Septs have been doling out for more than a quarter century with their Twisted Sisters & Company Fibre Mill & Sunnyhill Alpacas in Leduc County. 

WATCH | Get a feel for Alberta alpacas at a farm southeast of Edmonton:

It started as a hobby, Leanne said, but "now it's our life."

The couple quit their oilfield jobs and now call their 24 hectares of rolling hills dotted with fruit trees and 60 alpacas "heaven."

Canada's alpaca industry sprung up in the 1980s with animals imported from the High Andes of Bolivia, Peru and Chile, in part because of their adaptability to our climate.

Today, while exact population numbers are difficult to track, more than 34,000 alpacas are registered in Canada, according to the Canadian Llama and Alpaca Association. More than 40 per cent of them are in Alberta, said Paityn Eidt, vice-president of Alpaca Canada.

Eidt said the industry has had a big boost in profile this year from the United Nations, which has declared 2024 the International Year of Camelids to highlight how animals like camels, llamas and alpacas are key to the livelihoods of millions of households across more than 90 countries, particularly Indigenous peoples and local communities.

Alpacas are being showcased at this year's Alberta Open Farm Days. 

The annual event, being held this weekend, will see visitors drop in at more than 160 rural locations, from bison ranches and breweries to market gardens — and alpaca farms.

Tim Carson, CEO of the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies, said "it's a backstage pass to meet the producer and find out where your food comes from. It's also an opportunity for agri-tourism."