Residents of a Southbourne care home welcome furry friends

The alpacas go by the names of Baron and Jupiter and are both from Dunreyth Alpacas, based in Funtington. For those less mobile the furry duo even paid special visits to their rooms.

Julie Levy, care home manager, said: “We are always looking for new and interesting activities for the residents and animals regularly prove very popular, and can also be very therapeutic for the residents.”

Alpacas are a close relative of llamas and originate from the Altiplano in west-central South America.

Bruce Ives, from Dunreyth Alpacas, commented: “Pet-a-Paca is becoming increasingly popular at care homes and has proven to be very beneficial in many aspects of holistic care. The alpacas have a wonderful temperament and enjoy meeting everyone “.