Sisters llamas head to Japan

Last updated 7/23/1996 at Noon

There's nothing new about llamas being shipped out of Sisters headed for other parts. After all, Sisters is a Mecca for llama raising and people from everywhere in the United States and several foreign countries have purchased the animals from Sisters ranches.

But 10 llamas from Sisters' Hinterland Ranch are pioneers. They have taken up new homes and jobs in Japan in what llama breeder Kay Patterson believes may be the first private importation of llamas to Japan.

It seems that Mikio Oda was interested in establishing an attraction in Japan including day-pack trips on llamas.

Through his English instructor Robin Wright of Eugene, Oregon, he inquired about llamas from chambers of commerce in Oregon.

The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce got in touch with Hinterland Ranch and Patterson responded to the inquiry.

"It's a project I've been working on for about a year," Patterson said. "Eventually I put together a package that included five females and five males."

Patterson noted that some of the llamas came from Hinterland Ranch and some came from Patterson's friend and fellow llama rancher Toni Landis.

While Patterson gathered the llamas, Oda sought and was granted permission by the mayor and people of his village to pasture the llamas on village land.

Once the llamas were ready to ship, they were tested and quarantined. They finally left Los Angeles, California on an air cargo flight, accompanied by Lyle Johnson of Roman Farms in Bend who handles transport operations for Hinterland Ranch.

The llamas went from Los Angeles to Osaka via Seoul, South Korea, where they were greeted by Oda and an enthusiastic contingent of citizens eager to see the exotic animals.

At press time it was expected that the llamas had established themselves in their new home and were ready to undertake their new jobs as packers.

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Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.