Alpaca's stress and welfare from behavioral and physiological perspectives

Abstract

Alpacas' welfare needs a multidisciplinary approach, combining applied ethology, animal husbandry and veterinary science. This article reviews issues such as key sources of alpacas' stress, their responses in stressful situations from behavioral and physiological perspectives and possibilities to develop positive human-animal relationships as well as improve well-being of alpacas kept in the European conditions and used for fiber production and tourism. The review was divided into 3 main areas: (i) stress regulation and assessment in alpacas, (ii) alpacas' welfare and Five Freedoms, (iii) the importance of behavioral knowledge to improve alpacas' welfare. Besides many potential factors inducing alpacas' stress response and decreasing quality of life in these animals, there is a number of possibilities to optimize their welfare and increase behavioral comfort. Proper alpaca care should be based on knowledge about this species' behavioral repertoire and rules of animal management practice as they could help optimize their welfare level. Keeping the duration of routine husbandry procedures short, ensuring sufficient space in the area with access to species-appropriate feed and contact with conspecifics, as well as using positive training techniques can significantly benefit animals. It can improve the quality of their life.

Zusammenfassung

Das Wohlergehen der Alpakas erfordert einen multidisziplinären Ansatz, der angewandte Ethologie, Tierhaltung und Veterinärmedizin kombiniert. In diesem Artikel werden Themen wie die Hauptursachen für Stress bei Alpakas, ihre Reaktionen in Stresssituationen aus verhaltensbezogener und physiologischer Sicht sowie Möglichkeiten zur Entwicklung positiver Mensch-Tier-Beziehungen und zur Verbesserung des Wohlbefindens von Alpakas untersucht, die unter europäischen Bedingungen gehalten und für die Faserproduktion und den Tourismus genutzt werden. Die Überprüfung war in 3 Hauptbereiche unterteilt: (i) Stressregulierung und -bewertung bei Alpakas, (ii) Wohlergehen der Alpakas und die Fünf Freiheiten, (iii) die Bedeutung von Verhaltenswissen zur Verbesserung des Wohlergehens der Alpakas. Neben zahlreichen potenziellen Faktoren, die bei Alpakas Stress auslösen und die Lebensqualität dieser Tiere beeinträchtigen, gibt es zahlreiche Möglichkeiten, ihr Wohlbefinden zu optimieren und ihren Verhaltenskomfort zu erhöhen. Die richtige Pflege von Alpakas sollte auf Kenntnissen über das Verhaltensrepertoire dieser Art und den Regeln der Tierhaltung basieren, da diese dazu beitragen können, das Wohlbefinden der Tiere zu optimieren. Eine kurze Dauer der routinemäßigen Haltungsverfahren, die Gewährleistung von ausreichend Platz mit Zugang zu hochwertigem Futter und Kontakt zu Artgenossen sowie die Anwendung positiver Trainingstechniken können sich erheblich positiv auf die Tiere auswirken und ihre Lebensqualität verbessern.

Keywords

Alpaca - animal welfare - behavior - physiological regulation - stress

Schlüsselwörter

Alpaka - Tierschutz - Verhalten - physiologische Regulierung - Stress

Publication History

Received: 03 April 2025

Accepted: 01 October 2025

Article published online:
11 November 2025

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