AUBURN - Forget the dairy cows, and horses are blase.

Alpacas are where the action is, or at least was Tuesday afternoon.

Ken and Polly Michaelis brought four of the misunderstood animals from their Weedsport farm, Finger Lakes Alpacas, to the participants of Freedom Camp.

Dozens of campers petted the animals' necks and torsos during a demonstration in Casey Park. The camp runs for four weeks and involves youths ages 4 to 21 with special needs, and their siblings.

Upon introducing Lake Effect and his brother, The Snowman, along with Bear and his brother, Mac, the couple first educated the campers on the South American species, which people often mistake for llamas.

“Calling an alpaca a llama is like calling a blue tractor a John Deere,” Ken said.

Second, they taught the children not to fear the animals. Ken told the Freedom Camp groups the alpacas have six teeth on bottom and none on top so they can't bite.

“It's so neat to see the kids see the animals and they understand. There's no fear on either side,” Polly said.

Mackenzie Van Epps, 5, petted the animal she called fluffy while her friend Baylee Kennedy, 6, received a wet, squishy kiss on the nose from Lake Effect, a white alpaca. Ken and Polly stick to names related to the

region's geography, but that can get a little difficult. Some people resort to collecting paint chips to take inspiration from the names of thousands of hues, Ken added.

Camp director Bridget Kennedy said some of these young people have never been out of Auburn so Tuesday was a rare opportunity to touch the uncommon livestock.

“A girl in a wheelchair couldn't move, but the smile was worth it,” Ken added.

The children asked the usually questions: What do they eat? Grass and hay. How often do they sheer them? Each spring. How much fleece comes from an animal annually? Eight or nine pounds.

The Michaelises' farm has grown to include 50 alpacas since its inception in 1999.

Besides petting the animals' fleece, people could stroke products made from the hair, including a long-hair pillow, yarn, socks, scarves, and blankets the couple brought. However, the animals were the clear favorite things to touch.

The small hands coming at them didn't scare them, but the alpacas did make their signature sound, a low hum.

“We raise them to be social. They are livestock, so you can't expect them to act like dogs and cats,” Polly said.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net