Huge search mission amid fears alpaca has been stolen

A large search mission has been launched to find a baby alpaca who disappeared eight days ago.

Tamsin Harrison, 49, who runs an alpaca sanctuary in Cleeve, near Bristol, said it was extremely unusual for her black 10-month-old, called Banff, to leave his enclosure, and she fears he has been stolen.

After appealing on social media, she said the "whole community started looking for him".

"The response has been overwhelming - people have been searching for him daily. I've had people from the local search and rescue teams looking, and people from the alpaca community searching for him with feed buckets," she said.

Other alpaca experts searched Goblin Combes, a nearby forest, with Harrison.

They advised her that "no dropping or traces of black fibres" have been found anywhere, which suggests that he could have been taken, she said.

Banff's herd is on private land and is not accessible to the public. Avon and Somerset Police has also been informed about the incident.

"I know something unusual happened because if an alpaca does go over the fence, they stay waiting to get back in because they are herd animals," she added.

Pauline Tyrrell lives across the road from Harrison and has been searching "the woods, morning, noon and night".

"The community is so sad and upset about the situation.

"These are not Tamsin's animals - they are her pets, she knows them all by name," Tyrrell added.

Harrison said this has been a difficult time for her.

"I've been trying to carry on as normal, but things aren't normal.

"He looks bigger than what he is because of how long his fleece is, he is actually very small," she added.

This has left Banff's herd to act differently, with Harrison saying they no longer respond to her in the same way.

Harrison is appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

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