You can walk an alpaca and eat it too at this farm

By Amy Reast via SWNS

An alpaca farm offers guests the chance to take one for a walk - then leave with others in burgers or sausages.

Emma Collison, 36, runs Moor View Alpaca Farm in Cornwall, England where you can meet and go for a walk with the the animals.

But in an unusual twist it offers a range of alpaca meat produce - so you can take one home for tea too.

Emma runs the farm with partner Stuart Billinghurst, 45, and they also keep meerkat and sheep.

Emma said: "We've been doing alpaca meat for seven years now - in steaks, sausages and burgers.

"People don't realize but you can have alpaca in the same way as any other form as meat.

"It's low in fat and cholesterol too, so it's better for you."

The couple started the farm in 2011 with a herd of alpacas, and in 2018 they launched their alpaca treks.

People can come and feed the animals and go on long treks up and down and around the farm, before heading to the cafe for a Cornish cream tea.

They also began selling alpaca meat seven years ago, although the meat they sell comes from a different herd kept close to the abattoir.

There are 16 alpaca in their trekking herd and seven in their meat herd.

Emma told how they get mixed views from the public because of their selling meat - although it is often misunderstood.

She said: "There are two sides to it, one side is the tourist side where people can trek with the alpacas.

"But on the other side, we breed and sell high quality welfare animals - not just alpacas, also lamb and pork.

"We've been getting more criticism recently due to the vegan movement, and because people think alpacas are just cute cuddly animals.

"But people only think that when their contact with alpacas has been through photos and petting farms and they don't know the other side of it."

Emma explained that in recent years, buying meat from the supermarket means people have become "disconnected from where it comes from."

She said: "In the supermarket you have no idea where your meat comes from.

"But you can go to a farm and meet the animals and see how well they're looked after."