WI Llamas and alpacas in North Africa?

[EnvarKadri]

Iirc, the spread of goats through north africa and the middle east helped to aggravate the desertification proccess. What if domestic americal camellids were brought to replace the roll of goats? Llamas eat grass cutting it, stead of ripping the roots like goats. Their manure is highly fertil. They provide meat, wool and milk. They are quite adaptable, inhabiting from the tropical highlands of Ecuador to the desert of Atacama (dryiest in the world). They can weight up to 110 kg yet they eat no more than a sheep. Alpacas wool is of higher quality than sheep wool.
Could this camellids be introduced in Morroco and the ottoman middle east in the 18th or 19th centuries? Would it help to aliviate desertification? Other consequences in the economy and ecology of the region?

 

[SwampTiger]

The Spanish could have brought llamas and alpacas during the colonial era to the dry plains of Castile. Later, during the conquest of Morocco, they bring animals to Africa. Or, Berber raiders capture animals from the drier Canary islands. It may delay desertification slightly. An early entry of lamilids into the western Sahara could have impacts in developing less nomadic tribal societies, improving wool, meat and milk production, and thus provide alternatives in times of drought and famine.

 

[cra0422]

I'm not sure if llamas and alpacas would do well in North Africa. Both species tend to prefer high altitude areas. They might do alright in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco but other than that I'm not sure.

 

[EnvarKadri]

I'm not sure if llamas and alpacas would do well in North Africa. Both species tend to prefer high altitude areas. They might do alright in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco but other than that I'm not sure.

There is a huge mountain range from Morroco to Tunis. Also there is dry mountains in lebanon, syria, yemen, Hejaz, basically all of anatolia and most of Iran. As far as I know the llamas don't have problems living in low altitude. Is just that they are generally used in higher altitude bwcause they do better there than sheeps.

 

[wtw]

Plus you are forgetting llamas are pack animals and can defend themselves from small canines effectively unlike sheep

 

[EnvarKadri]

Plus you are forgetting llamas are pack animals and can defend themselves from small canines effectively unlike sheep

True, I thing mules are better but to a lot of pastoralists owning a dedicated pack animal apart from llamas may be too costly. Also llamas being camellids would fare better with less food and water. But they give less milk than goats (just like camels). A milk producing oriented american camellid may be posible to create through breeding but it would take a lot of time and probably consume a lot more water and food then a regular llama, but it would still be better for the land then a goat, just because they don't pull grass roots.

 

[wtw]

True, I thing mules are better but to a lot of pastoralists owning a dedicated pack animal apart from llamas may be too costly. Also llamas being camellids would fare better with less food and water. But they give less milk than goats (just like camels). A milk producing oriented american camellid may be posible to create through breeding but it would take a lot of time and probably consume a lot more water and food then a regular llama, but it would still be better for the land then a goat, just because they don't pull grass roots.

Well considering they are used to using camels their South American cousins wouldn't be that different for them, just smaller. Also goats are browsers they eat leaves, sheep eat grass.