NEED TO KNOW
- An 18-year-old alpaca, Giovanni, at a U.K. sanctuary, was given mirrors after losing his pen mates
- Sanctuary staff say the mirrors help him feel less isolated while the facility waits for new alpacas to arrive
- Two young female alpacas are expected to join Giovanni soon
An elderly alpaca at a wildlife park in the U.K. is getting a little extra help coping with grief — thanks to mirrors, community support and new companions on the way.
Giovanni, an 18-year-old alpaca who lives at Screech Owl Sanctuary & Animal Park in Saint Columb, Cornwall, was left alone after the two alpacas he shared a pen with died of old age around the same time, according to reports from the BBC and SWNS. Alpacas are herd animals, and staff quickly noticed Giovanni needed support while they worked to find him new company.
“He was in need of a special treat and a sense that there’s somebody else around,” Gary Zammit, the park’s operations director, told the BBC.
To help ease the transition, carers installed mirrors in Giovanni’s field so he would feel he was not alone. Karen, one of the sanctuary’s owners, told SWNS the mirrors are intended as a temporary solution while longer-term plans are being arranged. “An appeal for mirrors was made, and the local community rallied round,” she said.
The response was swift. Zammit told the BBC the sanctuary now has “plenty” of mirrors, giving Giovanni multiple reflective surfaces around his enclosure. Staff say the alpaca appears calmer with the mirrors in place, often lingering near them.
“He seems quite happy seeing his reflection,” Zammit shared. “It’s even better when he’s got that there so he can see another alpaca as far as he, hopefully, thinks in the paddock with him.”
PEOPLE reached out to Screech Owl Sanctuary & Animal Park for further comment on the enrichment exercise.
The mirrors are not meant to replace real companionship, Zammit emphasized. Introducing new animals requires careful planning, including health testing and quarantine. “You can’t just take animals from anywhere and add them to a collection of this size,” he told the BBC.
Of course, there is good news ahead. Karen told SWNS that a local woman has offered to donate two young female alpacas to the sanctuary, meaning Giovanni’s time alone should be short-lived. “It will therefore not be long before Giovanni will have some new friends,” she added.
The sanctuary deeply felt the loss that led to Giovanni’s isolation. In a Facebook post shared on Jan. 14, staff announced that one of the alpacas, Eddy, had been put to sleep after struggling with a serious health issue. “He had a special place in the hearts of the staff, volunteers and public,” the sanctuary wrote, adding that he would be “sorely missed.”
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For now, mirrors and extra attention are helping Giovanni through the transition — a small but thoughtful solution until his new herd arrives.
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