--- description: Llama on the lam! title: This Runaway Llama Took Over a Georgia Town image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'Llama Whisperer' Returns Runaway Llama to Its Owners by [Melissa Locker](/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 6, 2017 8:50 PM CUT by [Melissa Locker](/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 6, 2017 8:50 PM CUT Police were surprised to hear reports of a “baby camel running loose” in the Athens, Georgia area, but as police are trained to respond to any situation, they went to investigate. Turns out, it wasn’t a camel at all, “Our deputies are not trained in South American camelid identification, but they quickly determined that the animal in question was actually a [llama](http://time.com/4158994/llama-kangaroo-party-photos/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined"),” Chief Deputy Lee Weems [posted on the Oconee County Georgia Sheriff’s Office Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/oconeesheriff/ "undefined"). While a [runaway llama](http://time.com/3724871/llama-chase/?iid=sr-link3 "undefined") sounds like a children’s book, the animal in question led the Athens, Georgia-area police on a real chase. The escapee was eventually corralled thanks to fine police work involving a bag of carrots, “several llama experts,” and one “llama whisperer,” but [not DMX](http://time.com/69589/llama-frolicks-to-dmx/?iid=sr-link2 "undefined"). The police were able to return [the llama](http://time.com/4227426/pet-alpaca-chewy-australia/?iid=sr-link10 "undefined") to its owners, but the reasons for its romp are still under investigation. “We do not know at this time whether it just wanted to go for a stroll or if it was concerned about the weather forecast this weekend and was attempting to buy bread and milk,” Weems [noted in his Facebook post](https://www.facebook.com/oconeesheriff/ "undefined"). “I asked, but it refused to answer questions. Perhaps this is because I don’t speak Spanish nor any of the native Peruvian languages.” \[H/T [CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rogue-llama-prompts-comical-response-from-local-georgia-sheriffs-office/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4625961/llama-police-chase/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4625961/llama-police-chase/"},"headline":"'Llama Whisperer' Returns Runaway Llama to Its Owners","datePublished":"2017-01-06T20:50:45.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:39:58.065Z","description":"Llama on the lam!","url":"https://time.com/4625961/llama-police-chase/","keywords":["Newsfeed","animals","police","georgia"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4625961/llama-police-chase/","name":"'Llama Whisperer' Returns Runaway Llama to Its Owners"}}]}] ```