Canberra’s Alpaca Therapy hangs up the reins after 17 years, with beloved animals sent to live on a farm

From grieving mothers to mental health patients and victims of violence, Nils Lantzke’s alpacas have helped Canberrans cope with trauma for 17 years.

As the operator of Canberra’s only alpaca therapy provider, Mr Lantzke has spent years watching the animals form special bonds with people doing it tough at hospice wards, aged care homes, funerals and more.

But the 68-year-old has made the difficult decision wind up his beloved Alpaca Therapy program, which has brought comfort to countless people.

“We’ve helped half the population of Canberra, I suppose,” he joked.

“Being able to put smiles on people’s faces, that was all I ever wanted to do. Although it was hard at times, we’ve always managed to get people smiling.”