CARE home residents were surprised by a visit from some friendly alpacas.

The three animals, called Oliver, Midnight Prince and Sirocco, visited residents of Ferndown Manor in Golf Links Road and The Potteries in York Road, Poole.

After being welcomed in the communal lounge, the alpacas were given a tour of the homes by their handler, Wendy Williams of Copse View Alpacas.

They even visited residents in their bedrooms.

Ferndown Manor home manager, Janet Lewis, said: “We are always looking to plan interesting and exciting activities for residents, and bringing pets such as cats and dogs into the home to meet residents has been proven to have many therapeutic benefits for older people.

“When the opportunity arose to welcome the herd from Copse View Alpacas to the home, we were excited to make this happen. There was a huge amount of interest when we announced the visit to residents. It was brilliant to have such a great turn out, and to see the residents engaged and asking questions about the friendly animals.”

Zita Turner, home manager at The Potteries, said: “Not many residents had seen an alpaca before, and you could see from residents’ reactions just how fascinated they were by the chance to get up close to and pet the gentle-natured creatures.

“It proved to be a real success, and the residents all enjoyed having a cuddle with Oliver and Sirocco as well as learning about how their fleece can be used to make all sorts of different clothing.”