As we were out in the pastures feeding and doing various checks on the alpacas this morning, I noticed a wild turkey out in the middle pasture where the females and older nursing crias are.  It was at the back of the pasture away from the alpacas and no one had noticed it yet.  Luke, our maremma LGD, was in the small pasture next to that one just watching his charges, enjoying the cool crisp morning that we were having. 

One by one the alpacas noticed the turkey.  One girl would head toward it and then another.  If you know anything about herd animals, once one decides to go somewhere, whether it’s out to graze or to check something out, all of the others usually follow.  As the alpacas all started looking and then walking toward the turkey, Luke noticed and went in to action.  He stood up from his sitting position and ran back and forth.  When he thought that the turkey could be a problem for his girls, he immediately headed toward the part of the fencing that he can go under and took off to the back of the pature.  He ran past the alpacas and continued on toward the turkey. 

By this time all of the boys in the adjacent pasture were excited and they began running the fence line and hopping on their back legs with front legs waving in the air.  Really, I think they were more excited about the girls in the pasture next to them than they were the lone turkey.  Now, everyone was on their way to check out the turkey.  Luke was out in front and as he got closer, the turkey flew away, but he had done his job - he had ‘protected’ his alpacas from trouble.  He sniffed around where the turkey had been walking and when satisfied that he had done his intended job slowly trotted back to the paddock where he got praise from us.  Good Boy Luke!