No, they really do. Vendace are an endangered species of fish that have lived in Britain since the Ice Age. They are the UK's rarest freshwater fish but with the impact of climate change and the environmental impact on surrounding lakes and rivers have made Derwentwater, in the Lake District, an unsuitable habitat in the long-term. Aside from rising temperatures affecting the eco-system there are new pressures such as invasive species, pollution and tourist activities that have caused a relocation of Vendace to be necessary.
To ensure their continued existence, the Environment Agency took 25 000 eggs and nurtured them in a hatchery until they were mature enough to be taken to a new, smaller lake 500 metres higher in altitude than their typical home in Derwentwater. Their new home is Sprinkling Tarn which has a lower water temperature that will improve the Vendace's chance of survival.
The llamas were hired from a local charity, the Llama Karma Kafe, and they along with Fisheries officers transported the Vendace to the cooler waters of the tarn near Seathwaite Fell. Llamas were used in main part because the path was simply too rocky and treacherous to do in 4x4 but also to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.
The refuge colony is hoped to become self-sustaining over time but until then will continue to be closely monitored. According to the Fisheries Department, Salmon and Trout are being closely monitored too for fear they may need relocation too however they suspect more llamas are going to be need to move these much larger fish. So it seems this unique co-existence between fish and llama looks set to continue.
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