“I can’t believe I saw a llama.” That’s a phrase often repeated as folks encounter Jeff Wagner and his llama, Yogi. Wagner hauls Yogi in a trailer, from La Pine to the Old Mill District, on a regular basis so they can take a stroll. He started doing this during the pandemic because he thought it would be a sliver of joy for strangers during an unsettling time. He continues doing it for the same reasons.
During a walk at the Old Mill on a recent Thursday, Yogi certainly turned heads.
“What kind of dog is that?” a man shouts while sitting at a table outside Sisters Coffee Company.
“He’s a llama doodle,” Wagner jokingly replies. Soon, there’s a crowd around Yogi, who patiently accommodates a round of selfies. He’s a young llama, under two years of age, and will continue growing taller and heavier until he matures around age four. A llama’s lifespan is 20 years on average. They can grow over six feet tall.
“I never met anybody who didn’t have a huge smile on their face and was just absolutely thrilled,” Wagner explains about the first few times he took a llama on a walk. “And so, it was like, okay, people were kind of desperate for something to feel good about, so I started bringing them out more and started having some really amazing things happen.”
Wagner has two other llamas, Fuzz, who’s nine years old, and Kona, who’s six. They’ve also accompanied him on public trails, which he says helps desensitize them, so they don’t easily startle.
Two encounters stand out for him. One involved four sisters who recently lost their mother. Seeing Yogi brought tears to their eyes because they had called their mother ‘mama llama.’ Another time, Wagner says a three-year-old, born during the pandemic and struggling to interact with other children, immediately ran up to the llama upon seeing it, giving him a big hug.
Wagner got his first llama right before Covid-19, as a friend for his horse. He now takes his llamas backpacking so they can carry the load. He considers them easy travel companions. They’ve walked Smith Rock State Park, Green Lakes Trail, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, Benham Falls and other scenic locations. He tried to get permission from Bend Park and Recreation District to walk Yogi in their parks and on their trails but was denied. The District’s policy says horses and other stock animals are prohibited, except as authorized by the Executive Director or a designee.
At the Old Mill, many people, surprised and curious about what they were seeing, had questions about whether Yogi is an alpaca or a llama. Alpacas are smaller and their fiber is softer, while a llama’s fiber is generally coarse. A llama’s face is more elongated, with longer ears that are curved, resembling a banana. Alpacas have a more rounded face with straight, pointed ears.
Llamas are social, pack animals. They forage grass and hay. They prefer to defecate in the same area, so Wagner has no issues with Yogi causing messes when out in public. The number of llamas living in the United States is on the decline. There were nearly 145,000 llamas in the U.S. in 2002. By 2017, there were fewer than 40,000 and by 2022, there were 29,700 llamas accounted for in a Census of Agriculture report which is done every five years. By comparison, there were about 99,500 alpacas reported in the U.S. in 2022.
Back at the Old Mill, Yogi is a celebrity at REI. He visits the outdoor gear store on a regular basis, even riding the elevator to the second floor.
“You don’t see that every day,” a shopper says. “Hope you can find your size!”
“Oh my gosh, he’s real!” another surprised shopper exclaims.
Jeannine Hart works in customer service at REI. One day, about a year ago, she asked Wagner if he needed any help. That conversation turned into a unique relationship that ultimately led to Yogi becoming an ambassador. She told Wagner about the Cooperative Action Fund at REI which gives 100% of the donations to grantee partners such as Outward Bound Adventures, Catalyst Sports, Nature and Health Alliance and more.
“He went home and researched it, and he got back in touch,” Hart explains. “And he said, ‘I really like this fund.’ He’s been a fund Angel, really for well over a year. …He said, ‘What if we did an event in REI where people come and get their pictures taken with Yogi with a suggested donation to the fund, and I’ll match any donations that are made. So that’s how that started.”
Another event is being planned for the near future.
Standing on a sidewalk outside the store, Yogi remained calm as folks stroked his neck, the only place Wagner allows him to be touched. He says that’s for Yogi’s comfort and protection.
While Yogi patiently and dutifully basks in the attention, Wagner, too, is getting something from it.
“Any day with Yogi is the best day,” Wagner says simply.
This article appears in Source Weekly May 15, 2025.
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