Explorer update

Thank you for all your good wishes, support and advice regarding little Explorer. It really is encouraging. Special thanks to Graham and Jenny from Fowberry Alpacas who have kindly shared the benefit of their vast experience. Thankfully we do have a vet who will listen.

He has actually gained some weight over the past two days and is back up to 9kg this morning. He isn't as active as you might expect a five day old cria to be but he has had a more difficult start. It is a shame that he has no other cria pals to get him going it would be so encouraging to see him play. However he remains apyrexial and is suckling as would be expected.

Explorer is a tall cria, as you can see in the photo he struggles to fit under petite Camilla. Not the most interesting of photos but a very welcome sight to see that head down and tail up!

Camilla has been amazing. She looks after him really well yet doesn't overly mind that we keep catching him. Morning routine: weigh him, take temperature, give Jumpstart paste, administer Chlorenphenical eye drops, give antibiotic injection and deliver a hug! Camilla just keeps a pretty eye on proceedings.

There seems to be little to recommend a 385-day gestation period from this experience, but I will tentatively suggest that we are making some progress. I have just been out to see him in the paddock catching those rays and the vitamin D that he needs. We will just have to watch and wait now to see how he progresses.