ALPINE SECURITY - LLAMA-STYLE

High on the Wasserngrat ridge, two unusual guardians keep watch over a flock of Oberland sheep. Ari and Benji are llamas, gentle but vigilant protectors, who spend the summer months ensuring the animals of Biohof Giferspitz can graze safely in the wild.

As the sun rises over the Turbachtal, the pastures seem tranquil: sheep bells echo, insects hum, and the slopes shimmer with alpine flowers. But peace in these mountains is never guaranteed. Wolves, foxes, and lynxes roam the Bernese Oberland, and it takes more than fences to keep predators at bay. Exactly why the llamas are there. With a natural sense of authority, Ari and Benji instinctively guard the flock, keeping to the edges, scanning the ridgeline, and intervening if danger comes too close

Guardians of the flock
The system is both simple and effective. Llamas are naturally territorial and bond quickly with “their” sheep. Their height gives them an excellent vantage point, while their presence deters predators that might otherwise test the flock. Calm but imposing, Ari and Benji provide order in a terrain that is anything but easy to manage.

The sheep they protect belong to Alexandra and Sarah, the two young farmers who run Biohof Giferspitz. Their herd of Oberland sheep spends a hundred days on the ridge each summer before moving further up towards Giferspitz, where fresh herbs and nutrient-rich grasses await. Moving the animals is no small task: the flock strings itself along narrow ridges “like pearls on a string,” as Alexandra puts it. The lead sheep set the pace, while the llamas quietly keep everyone in line.

Sheep, Llamas, and shepherds in step
It’s a striking image of alpine cooperation: sheep, llamas, farmers, and even Sky the farm dog, all working in rhythm with the land. “The llamas don’t try to dominate,” Sarah explains. “They’re just always there – watchful, steady, and respected by the sheep.”

For the farmers, this partnership extends beyound security. It reflects a philosophy of farming that values harmony with nature as much as productivity. The pastures around Giferspitz burst each summer with alpine diversity, an abundance of herbs, flowers, and grasses that are essential not only to livestock but also to the region’s ecological balance.

Life in rhythm with the mountains
Both women share a deep connection to these mountains. Sarah, who grew up in Saanenland, has travelled widely but feels most rooted in the Turbachtal valley. Alexandra, originally from elsewhere, settled here years ago and cannot imagine living anywhere more beautiful. Together, they have built a life shaped by the rhythm of the seasons and their bond with the animals.

Evenings on the farm mirror the quiet strength of the alpine day. After the flock has been settled and Ari and Benji take up their night watch, the valley falls into stillness.

EDITED BY J.WICHMANN