We Put A Llama In Our Car... Yep, You Read That Right Video

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February 25, 2019

Why did you put a llama in the back of your car?!" You might be thinking....and now I'm starting to wonder the same thing

You can watch the video here. But if you would like to hear the whole story of how we got to this place, and would like a good laugh, then keep reading.Here's the whole story...

In the last month we have lost 2 full grown sheep to coyotes.

Coyotes are getting really thick in our area and in the 7 years we have had sheep I have never lost a sheep or a lamb to a coyote, so I thought we were doing fine.I have had llamas in the past but doubted they were doing anything to keep coyotes away, so I sold Henry (our old llama).

Sure enough, a few months later after selling him we lost our first sheep to a brutal coyote attack. (5 coyotes vs. 1 sheep, not very fair).

Thinking it was our fault because we had the sheep too far from home we brought them closer to home. A week later another coyote attack happened less than 150 yards from our house

Coyotes are not usually that bold and tend to stay away from humans, so for them to attack that close to our house showed us we had a serious problem on our hands.

We started thinking that those llamas we had in the past might have actually been doing something...

Llamas are natural guard animals and do NOT like dogs or coyotes. Instead of running and fleeing they will confront them and actually have been known to kill dogs and coyotes. However, it's best to have a female llama, our last llama was male and didn't really seem to care too much for the sheep.

I was on the hunt for a female llama. All the llamas I could find were in Twin Falls, so I really wanted to stay closer to home.

Finally, a llama came up for sale in Nyssa, however, they needed to get rid of her fast and my husband was headed out of town for the weekend...

So, I came up with the bright idea that:

I could go pick her up
With my suburban (not our pickup)
On a Sunday in our church clothes
With my 4 children in the back of the car.
Load her up without my husband's help

The folks swore she was a really nice llama and that she was fully trained and used to load up in the back of the van.I figured a suburban isn't much different than a van, so off we went.

When I got to the llama's home, the folks brought me over to her and were talking about what a sweet nice llama she was. She pinned her ears back at me and looked like she wanted to kill me. I started to immediately doubt whether this was a good idea or not.

This llama (Tina) had just recently had a baby (Lafawnduh) (yes, Napoleon Dynamite knock off) and was very nervous about her baby and anybody hurting it.

We started to lead them to the car and she was visibly nervous, making llama noises and looking frantically for her baby (which was right on her side).

We (the lady's husband and I) decided it would be best to load the baby up first. When he went to pick up the baby she gave him a quick swift kick in the crotch, which brought him to his knees. (I knew we were off to a good start).

He successfully got the baby loaded and now momma llama was now completely going crazy since she couldn't see her baby anymore.

I went around the side and grabbed the rope through the car, so I could pull her forward while he pushed her into the car.Now that I was trying to load the momma llama up, my kids FREAKED out and jumped over the seats to the front of the car.I kept reassuring them that she was nice and that she wouldn't do anything and just at that time she looked at me and spit at me. (thankfully I had my hand up so she just spit at my hand). She then tried to jump over the back seat of suburban.

At that point, my kids refused to sit in the back seat of the suburban.

After some quick car seat arranging and the llama and baby successfully loaded up. I quickly paid for the llama and wanted to get on the road home as fast as possible.

The llamas seemed to be calming down as I drove, but just then my 8-month-old baby (who was facing backward looking at the llamas) started laughing and squealing at the site of the llama in the back of the car. This started making Tina nervous and she started to make llama noises and getting restless. I immediately told the kids to try to get the baby to stop squealing and distract her. Which they were successful at doing, but about every 15 minutes she would look at the llama and start making noises again.

After a long 1.5-hour drive home we finally pulled into the driveway.

I have never seen my kids get out of the car as fast as they did that day. As the stench of llama lingered in the car.

The easiest part was unloading them, but it wasn't quite over yet...I then needed to get the ropes they had tied around their necks off, which proved to be a lot harder than it looked. After 30 minutes of coaxing, wrestling and cursing I finally got the ropes removed.

I then made a promise that I would never do anything that silly again...Until the next animal I really need comes up for sale.

You can watch the video of us getting home here.

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Full 2026: Series on The Big Grass Fire "It Starts with a Spark!"

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Standing Together During the Big Grass Fire When wildfires threaten our communities, they don’t stop to ask whose land they’re on. They move quickly, changing lives in a matter of hours. But in rural communities like ours, something else moves just as quickly—neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. As the Big Grass Fire continues to impact parts of Idaho and Oregon, Sean Cunningham of Cunningham Pastured Meats has joined countless ranchers, volunteers, firefighters, and first responders working tirelessly to support those directly affected. But, in spite of the effort to mitigate the damages, the devastation is real to life and property. While the Cunningham ranch has not been directly impacted by the fire, Sean has been spending long days assisting neighboring ranchers whose grazing lands, livestock, fences, and livelihoods have been threatened. Whether helping protect cattle, building fire lines, moving equipment, or supporting firefighting efforts wherever needed, the work reflects something deeply rooted in ranching culture: when one neighbor is hurting, everyone shows up. With but a brief reunion with Sean after his 3 days of fire service. As you can imagine, while Sean is all smiles to finally be home for some much-needed rest, tears were shed by the littles in his reunion with the family! As many of you know, Liz and Sean, while still only in their late 30s, have seven children and one on the way. To date, Liz and Sean have spent days apart, each taking on the role in their own capacity against the fires. Sean on the dozer in the field and Liz capturing the story in a digital war to garner the attention of news agencies like KTVB7, the Lt. Governor's office, the White House, electric company CEOs and others for much needed assistance and support for the communities who are now at the mercy of a rogue grass fire, The Big Grass Fire and simultaneous fires stretching thousands of acres throughout the Jordan Valley and beyond. That spirit of service and capitalizing on each person's strengths to wage the war against the fires is nothing new to ranchers. Across the West, ranchers have long been among the first to respond when wildfire strikes. Their knowledge of the land, equipment, water sources, and terrain often makes them invaluable partners alongside local, state, and federal fire crews. Many volunteer through Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, organizations that have become an essential part of wildfire response throughout Oregon and Idaho. These partnerships help firefighters respond more quickly while protecting communities, grazing lands, wildlife habitat, and homes. For ranching families, these fires aren’t simply headlines—they’re deeply personal. A single fire can erase years of stewardship, destroy fencing, eliminate forage needed to feed cattle, and disrupt generations of hard work. Yet even in the face of tremendous loss, ranchers continue helping one another because that’s simply what neighbors do. We are incredibly grateful to every firefighter, volunteer, dispatcher, law enforcement officer, ranch family, and community member working around the clock to protect lives and property. Their courage and commitment remind us that the strength of rural communities isn’t measured only by the land we steward—it’s measured by the people willing to stand together when it matters most. Please continue keeping the families directly affected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. Recovery will take time, but our communities have always been built on resilience, compassion, and a willingness to lend a hand. As of Wednesday July 29, 2026 at 8 am the non-official update includes official agencies holding the line with the yellow circles area in the image below a wild card. With potential winds pushing north again, critical barriers may not be enough to hold the fire from encroaching on Silver City. The blue circled area on a post seen here with images is the most difficult to manage, with juniper trees, canyons, and rock formations making it difficult terrain to navigate intervention and support. See more details and images here From all of us at Cunningham Pastured Meats and Cliff’s Country Market, thank you to everyone serving on the front lines and behind the scenes. We are honored to stand alongside a community that continues to embody the very best of what it means to be neighbors helping neighbors. We continue to remain steadfast in prayer in the midst of a very active and devastating fire season.Watch Sean's interview with KTVB news.

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We Put A Llama In Our Car... Yep, You Read That Right Video