Monday, February 9, 2026 -A would-be thief's escape was thwarted by an unlikely force: a herd of vigilant llamas.
The incident occurred on Monday evening in South Normanton,
Derbyshire, United Kingdom, after a man allegedly stole tobacco from a woman
and fled into nearby farmland.
The suspect jumped a fence onto a farm off Carnfield Hill,
where he was immediately confronted by eight llamas. The animals, known for
their protective instincts, chased the intruder across the field before
surrounding him and blocking his escape.
Farm owners Heidi Price and Graham Oliver were alerted by
the distinctive warning cry of their animals. "This was after dusk,"
Heidi explained. "Llamas don’t like people entering their personal space
after dusk. Our llamas galloped over to him and surrounded him. They literally
made a circle around him, and then started releasing their warning cry, which
sounds like an old man laughing."
Her partner, Graham, ran out to find the man
"surrounded by llamas in the middle of the field." According to
Heidi, the intruder "looked absolutely terrified," a sentiment
heightened when the farm dog also became vocal at his feet. Graham then led the
man back to the fence line where police were waiting.
Heidi expressed pride in her herd's conduct, noting,
"When all this was happening, they didn’t spit onto anyone so they kept
good manners, even when faced with adversity." She rescued the llamas a
decade ago from a closing farm where they faced euthanization.
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