Story By: Kathryn Quinn, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

A German woman has launched a desperate appeal after six of her beloved alpacas – seen in these pics – were stolen amid fears they have been smuggled abroad by crooks.

Gabi Kortmann, 29, who runs alpaca farm Alexisdorfer Alpakahof posted her appeal on Facebook after her alpacas were stolen from her farm in Ringe, a community in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony, Germany.

The six alpacas included two pregnant alpacas, one male and three foals.

Pictures Credit: CEN/Alexisdorfer Alpakahof

Kortmann who breads the alpacas said: “The thieves must have used a trailer to steal the alpacas, they will probably sell them abroad.”

Posting the day after the theft she said: “We are in shock. our pregnant foals, as well as the foals, have gone.”

She added: “We have informed the police. The animals are DNA registered and are chipped. Maybe we will be lucky and they will be found.”

Herbert Ruch, 67, from the German ‘Alpaca Association’ said: “Good breading mares start at around 3,000 EUR (2770 GBP), there is no upper limit to their costs. In countries to the East in particular they are highly sought after.”

Gabi, who has run her alpaca farm since 2004, said: “I am really worried about Maja, she is only two months old. She needs to be bottle-fed. I am worried she will not survive.”

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