A train of pack donkeys hauls colourful bundles up a dusty switchback on the Inca Trail with steep Andean peaks behind

Donkeys on the Inca Trail

Donkey (Equus asinus) Hardy, sure-footed, and unfazed by thin air — burros have worked Andean trails for centuries, carrying gear so trekkers don’t have to. Pack donkeys are a common sight year-round on the Inca Trail and throughout the Peruvian highlands, where they remain the preferred transport on paths too narrow or steep for vehicles. Wikipedia | iNaturalist

Two llamas graze on a green terrace at Machu Picchu with the jagged peak of Huayna Picchu towering behind them.

Llamas Deep in the Andes

Llama (Lama glama) Domesticated over 4,000 years ago in the Peruvian highlands, the llama is South America’s largest camelid and served as the primary pack animal of the Inca Empire. A small herd is kept year-round on the terraces of Machu Picchu, where they double as living lawnmowers that trim the grass without damaging the ancient stonework. Wikipedia | iNaturalist