Loose Louisville llamas are located

Two llamas escaped from a farm near the Louisville Zoo early Friday, causing police and animal services to track them through the surrounding neighborhoods.

One llama, named Felicity, made it pretty far, eventually getting stopped on Harvard Drive near Bardstown Road in the Douglass Loop. A second one, Prism, was located on the west side of Newburg Road, not far from the farm where she lives. The llamas escaped from the Louisville Llama Farm at 1531 Schuff Lane, said owner Dale Hill.

On the farm, he and his wife keep 15 llamas that are bred and raised for their fleece, which is a material called fiber that is softer than wool.  Hill said he believes the 10 female llamas he owns got free sometime before midnight. He said beer bottles near the fence that normally contains the llamas indicate there was a party of sorts near the barn. He said a section of the fencing was left down, allowing the llamas to escape. Only two of the llamas actually ventured off the property, Hill said, adding that he believes the first sighting was sometime about 2 or 3 a.m.

Lt. Adam Hamilton with Louisville Metro Animal Services said his agency was notified by police about the loose llamas. He said Louisville Metro Police officers tracked them for several hours Friday morning. At some point, Felicity and Prism got separated. "The one who had seen the most of the city was Felicity," Hill said. "She really had a good night out." It was about 7:30 a.m., Hamilton said, when police finally found Felicity trapped in a yard near Harvard and Carlton drives. A family member came and walked Felicity back the several blocks to the farm, Hill said. 

"We haven't ever had them get out like this," Hill said, adding that he and his wife have owned the herd of llamas for about 10 years. Metro Animal Services said a citation was issued against the owners for failing to properly restrain the animals. That normally carries a $150 fine. But Kerri Richardson, a metro spokeswoman, said that because animal control officers have no experience with llamas, the owners will teach them in lieu of paying the fine. Hill said no one was ever in danger because of the animals, but shrubbery is a different story. "They're great animals," Hill said. "They are pretty safe other than eating people's bushes."

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090710/NEWS01/907100349/Loose+Louisville+llamas+are+located