Llama Attack

I’ve back blipoed yesterday’s training experience as there was no time over the weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it though!

Day 2: emergency procedures and first aid scenarios outside. Then, time for the trainees to lead a walk they’d planned with map and route card. They did well and it proved a valuable learning experience.

We were just coming to the end of the walk; I’d found a little fungi to blip, and I was happy with that... when we took a bridleway on a disused railway line through some Abby parkland. We were in a cutting but I wanted to see the deer so I climbed up some well constructed steps (not marked as private or giving any indication of danger) to the top of the bank where I could see what I think were bison, Highland cattle and two llamas. One of the llamas obliging trotted up towards me, providing my blip. Only he didn’t stop, but kept coming and head butted me off balance. He slowed as I flailed my arms but I almost fell down the bank in my hasty retreat.

We were a bit shocked but thought we were safe to continue along the cutting, when he charged unexpectedly down the bank at one of the trainees and reared up on his hind legs. Trina turned around at the last minute and his hooves landed on her back pack.

Now, what I did next was a surprise even to me. Certainly, the llama was a lot bigger than me and to be honest I’m not good with animals; frankly I’m scared of anything bigger than a domestic cat and I’m allergic to anything with hair. We don’t have pets and I just don’t do animals.

But, I reacted. My group were stuck with their backs against a deer fence and I knew I had to do something. So I ran at it, shouting and waving my arms to make myself look bigger. It hesitated, sizing me up, looking straight at me and I had that sick feeling of thinking “well this could end badly“, but luckily it turned tail back up the bank.

A nice easy lowland walk :-)