How to entertain your alpacas for hours

While on cria watch today with Patty...

who is clearly uncomfortable and ready to pop, I noticed something moving slowly across the pasture. Upon further investigation, since I was getting pretty tired of staring at Patty's behind waiting for the inevitable, I found a small turtle that the alpacas hadn't yet seen. I went and picked it up and placed it in the middle of the area where my females were all relaxing in the shade. They all ignored it until it began to emerge from it's shell. All at once everyone was up on their feet and dancing about. One would get close, sniff it, then leap back when it moved. Then another girl would do the exact same thing... get close, sniff, leap back... until nearly all of them had checked it out, then they began the rotation again!

This continued until the poor turtle had finally made his way to the fenceline only to find that he couldn't get through the fence! I felt sorry for the little fella and rescued him. The alpacas stood and watched him until he was completely out of sight. Maybe I should have left him trapped inside the fence so the alpacas could have a pet turtle of their own??? They would probably forget to feed him, then he'd die, I'd have to go to the pet store and buy them another one before they noticed... you know the story. Better to just let him go on home.