Talk of Peru, South America and animals, and Paddington Bear springs immediately to mind. But just over the border in Northamptonshire is a much bigger native of South America, the llama.

Mary Pryse and husband David run Catanger Llamas at Lois Weedon. Confusingly, the village is also known as Weedon Lois.

Originally, the couple farmed highland cattle and angora goats, but Mary bought a llama as a guard for her animals.

"A young llama separated from his fellows and placed with other animals will bond with his new chums and become very protective," she explained. "Then anything that threatens his mates, like a fox, he'll chase off."

Like Topsy, the llama herd just growed and now boasts 56 breeding and trekking llamas.

This year, Catanger Llamas celebrates its tenth anniversary. Back in 1998, it was the trekking that took off first and was one of only three such operations in the country.

Mary bought in llama weanlings from other UK breeders, training the youngsters in walking with people and accepting a halter - llamas dislike their heads being touched and will shy away.

"That takes about nine months of quite hard work," admitted Mary. "Llamas are not sexually mature until two and mentally mature until four, so it is like teaching any child the difference between right and wrong."

"What I do is to take the young and inexperienced out with one of the old soldiers who have seen it all and aren't fazed by things like combine harvesters and barking dogs. If the apprentice can see that the old hand takes it in his or her stride, then he follows suit." Some of her trained animals she sold, and gradually came to realise that breeding her own was the answer. Now about 50 per cent of the herd are breeding animals and sales have risen. Some go to trekking companies, some to people who want a guard llama or a couple to keep the grass down.

The majority of Catanger's income is derived from trekking, but the breeding side is being increased with the aim of a 50:50 split in takings.

Llamas are classed as camelids. The original breeds were guanacos and vicunas, wild breeds. From these were bred llamas and alpacas, both domesticated and both have been around for 5-6,000 years. A guanaco weighs in at about 90 kilos, a llama between 125 and 200 kilos.

The llama was bred as an all-purpose animal. It can carry 25 kilos on its back, offers strong outer hair for ropes and string, softer inner hair for clothes, provides a source of meat and its dung can be dried and used for fuel. In sparse terrain, a llama can exist happily on scrub grass.

It also has a bolder temperament than its wild cousins, which tend to be shy and retiring.

The Incas did not discover the wheel until the Spanish conquistadors, so used llama trains to move mineral ores and salt over mountainous routes. The llama has another advantage, its hooves. The underside of each hoof consists of a tough but soft pad, able to take sharp and stony tracks, but spreading the load on soft ground and creating little damage.

Hardy animals, llamas need little medical attention and live on average until their late teens. "And their breeding season?" I ask.

"They don't have one' replied Mary. "They are what's known as induced ovulators. The act of mating triggers a brain signal that releases an egg. Llamas aren't affectionate, so a mum won't lick her baby, called a cria. We arrange it so that crias are born in spring, summer or autumn. If a baby is born in winter, it can die of hypothermia. Plus, llamas need the sunlight for Vitamin D."

A cria will wobble to its feet within an hour and be galloping around in three or four, because in the wild, crias had to be able to keep up with the herd. Domesticity has altered things a bit, so young are sometimes born at night or early morning, rather than in the daytime as dictated by their natural habitat.

Trekking parties - and Mary treks about 120 days a year even during winter - come to Catanger for half-day walks around the farm and the beautiful surrounding countryside.

First item on the agenda is for visitors to be shown the habitat and history of the llama. Mary stresses how calm and laid back her charges are, that they do not bite, spit, kick or run amok and how walking around leading a nice, docile llama is very peaceful and stress-relieving.

"More and more, people are becoming detached from the countryside," said Mary somewhat ruefully, "so many of them have never been up close with a large animal. Llamas aren't that big, but with the long neck, they look quite big. Within minutes, though, my trekkers feel quite at home and really enjoy themselves."

With that, she leads me to meet Spinach and Paddywack and we set off for a short trek around the farm. Spinach is an old dog, now 13; Paddywack is a mere 18 months and still an apprentice, but one with a nice temperament and easy to lead.

Officially cloven-hoofed, llamas were originally subject to full foot and mouth restrictions, leading Catanger to close for 16 months during the outbreak in 2001. Now that it has been proven that llamas do not catch the disease, the restrictions during any outbreak are much reduced.

Within 12 months, Mary and David will build a house on site, followed by an education centre for mainly primary schoolchildren. The wooden buildings will use renewable energy such as solar panels and photovoltaic cells, biodigester toilets and rainwater recycling. Woodburning stoves will supplement the heating. Visitors will be taught the geography and history of South America and the part played by the llama.

"There'll be an arts centre, too," said Mary, "where I can display how I spin and weave llama hair into rugs, bags and hats."

Catanger Llamas can be contacted on 01295 768676, or visit the website: www.llamatrekking.co.uk