Children and animals are a
total tenderness and this is the case of Jhoel, a little from
Ecuador who usually goes to school riding his best friend, a llama. And it
is that in a video that spread on social networks, the little boy is
seen galloping on the animal at full speed to go to school. Users assured that little
Jhoel was going to or returning from school because he can be seen with a
backpack on his back. The fact surprised everyone and even more to the
tourists who recorded from the bus that transported them to another
destination.
In the highland moors of Cotopaxi Province, children learn to ride llamas at a very young age. The first independence of a child will come when he or she turns five years old. The child will take the reins of his or her llama and the two will go to the fields completely alone. No dad or mom accompanies them. They will face the cold and the winds. They will pass through the wetlands and travel hundreds of kilometers carrying milk and other products. A special bond is created between the child and the animal.
The president of the Sacha community in Salcedo, said his first llama did not have a name. But he remembers it with affection because they rode together, traveling many miles to do the tasks that his father asked him to do. Llamas can live up to 25 years. In that time, they accompany the families and provide wool and mobilization. In return, the families take care of them and keep them fat because "a skinny llama can not do much." You can buy a llama for $120 to $150.
Every February in Llanganates National Park, llama races are held. The riders range in age from 3 to 12. The first time she won a competition, Marilyn Barreros was 6 years old. She rode her llama "Carmita" and managed to leave behind all the other competitors in her age category. She keeps that trophy and the others she has won in her home. Photo courtesy: La Hora.
