ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For sharing their knowledge and for allowing us to get to know and photograph their animals we are extremely grateful to Doug and Jamie Sharp Jim Beulah and Brenda Williams Art and Shirley Selby Fred Bauer and the Steve and Nona Barker family We also thank Murray Fowler D V M Maria G Brown the San Diego Zoo and Lester Scheaffer for their assistance And as always we greatly appreciate the support and encouragement of our editor Andrea Curley 1
AT THE RANCH Walking confidently on slender legs the baby llama sniffed the fresh morning air As she followed her mother across the field the other llamas gathered around her They were eager to inspect the newest member of their herd The new baby’s name was Gypsy It had been given to her by the owners of the ranch in northern California where she had been born For the first few days of her life Gypsy had been kept in the barn with her mother There it was quiet and the owners could make sure Gypsy was getting enough to eat But now at the age of five days Gypsy was ready to join the herd 3
