PIEN HUANG, HOST:
Summer heat waves are tough on people, plants and animals, and they can be even harder for animals that aren't adapted to high heat and humidity, like alpaca.
HEIDI DIXON: My name is Heidi Dixon, and I am an alpaca farmer.
HUANG: Heidi Dixon owns the Ever After Alpaca Farm in Broad Run, Virginia.
DIXON: We started with four boys, and if we could keep four boys alive, then we were going to get four girls. And somehow now we have 34.
HUANG: During the pandemic, Dixon started running farm tours to generate extra income. Those tours booked up overnight. But now, she says hotter summers mean they can't stay open all season because alpaca are prone to heatstroke.
DIXON: They have this amazing fleece, and in the winter, it's wonderful to wrap up in an alpaca blanket. But I can't imagine walking around with one when it's 90 degrees outside.
HUANG: Alpaca originated in the Andes Mountains, and they're well adapted to survive in that climate. They're less well adapted to the heat and humidity of the Eastern U.S.
DIXON: They have big fans in the barn that we just keep running to keep them cool, to keep the air circulating. We keep nice low sprinklers so that they can get that belly nice and cool.
HUANG: And unlike other farm animals, she can't just spray the alpaca down with a hose to cool them off quickly.
DIXON: The reason we wet them on the belly is because the fleece is so thick that if we wet them on the top, it creates a little steam layer, and that actually heats them up.
HUANG: Dixon is constantly checking on the alpaca.
DIXON: We have a really, really big alpaca named Tuuki, and Tuuki is known to plop herself right on top of the sprinkler. And she's not moving, and no one can make her move. So we have to keep tabs that Tuuki is not hogging up all of the cool water.
HUANG: But as summer heat waves start earlier and last later in the season, she worries about balancing her business and caring for the herd. All that extra care, it comes with a price tag.
DIXON: It does affect our business. It's not cheap to run fans 24 hours a day, but we really don't have a choice. Our electric bill definitely goes up.
HUANG: She says that closing down tours for the hottest part of summer is the right choice for the alpaca, even if it costs her business.
DIXON: If I'm concentrating on the people, I'm not paying attention to those little signs of heat in the animals. That's why we decided to close. It was just not worth the risk.
HUANG: Dixon says that until temperatures drop, she'll be working to care for the alpaca on her farm and making sure they stay cool.
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