Tokyo residents find comfort in fluffy, street-strolling alpacas


Alpaca Fureai Land's Shinya Ide and Shion Ito walk alpacas Akane and Satsuki in the early morning in Tokyo on June 21, 2023. - Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters): The quiet of early morning streets in one downtown Tokyo neighbourhood is broken by joggers, parents with children in strollers - and a pair of alpacas, out for their daily constitutional walk.

On leads held by their keepers, Akane and Satsuki trot down streets past shops and temples, crop grass in a pocket park and share crosswalks with the occasional pedestrian before heading back to their home at an indoor petting zoo, "Alpaca Land".

After a round of brushing and combing, the woolly natives of South America are ready for their day: spending time with visitors who pay 1,000 yen (US$7) for 30 minutes petting them, hugging them and burying faces in their fleece.

"The alpaca was so fluffy that when I put my face on its back, its fleece covered half of my face and it was so cute," said visitor Nana Ide.

Manager Shinya Ide (no relation) says the secret to the five-year-old alpacas' appeal is that looking at them is comforting, and petting them even more soothing.

"Alpacas are naturally very nervous and timid animals, so when people approach them, they may spit or run away, making them difficult animals to interact with," he added.

"But these two are trained and have naturally laid-back personalities, so they are accustomed to people now and interact well."

Japan , alpaca ,

   

Next In Aseanplus News

Game of Thrones in Manila: Marcos-Duterte feud turns nasty with assassination threat
Myanmar rebel army ready for dialogue with junta, with China's help
Indonesia digs out as flooding in North Sumatra as landslide death toll hits 20
China ex-bank chief gets suspended death sentence for graft
Filipino fugitive wanted for US$68mil scam arrested in Indonesia
Singaporean actor Ryan Lian attacked outside shopping centre, face slashed three times
EV maker VinFast narrows Q3 losses, beats revenue estimates on strong demand
Singapore trader pleads not guilty to US$1.1bil nickel scam-fraud that has rocked the business community
Hong Kong's top court rules in favor of equal inheritance and housing benefits for same-sex couples
Thailand's exports beat forecast in October, to exceed 2024 target

Others Also Read