Llamas lounging on the ancient terraces of Machu Picchu with Huayna Picchu towering behind them

Llamas at Machu Picchu

Llama (Lama glama) Domesticated from wild guanacos thousands of years ago, llamas were the Inca Empire’s primary pack animal — and a small herd still roams Machu Picchu’s terraces today, keeping the grass trimmed the old-fashioned way. A resident population lives year-round at the citadel, maintained by Peru’s Ministry of Culture as both a conservation nod and a living link to the site’s history. Wikipedia | iNaturalist