As we head into the warmer months of Spring and Summer, babies are popping up across the countryside. As well as calves and lambs in the fields, you may come across some more unexpected bundles of fluff…

For one Cumbrian attraction, the changing season has seen a number of adorable new arrivals. Bardsea Alpacas and Llamas has recently welcomed seven new baby Alpacas, known as cria.

The tourist attraction near Ulverston, offers highly rated experiences with the gentle creatures, providing animal lovers with the opportunity to walk with and enjoy the company of Alpacas and Llamas.

The herd is cared for by Ste and Laura, who explained that they aim for the cria to start arriving in spring and summer to coincide with the best weather.

So far this birthing season, they have delivered seven healthy babies, including two female and five male cria.

One of this year’s first time mum’s, Torvi, gave birth to a big baby boy on Tuesday April 30 after 367 days of gestation.

Ste said Torvi is doing great for a first time mum, but she did need Laura to provide her some assistance with the birth because the cria was so big.

The baby alpaca was quick to start walking and drinking the colostrum from his mum. Colostrum is the first form of milk produced by mammals for their young, it is very concentrated and plays an important role in a baby’s survival by activating the newborn's immune system.

Ste said it's important baby alpacas drink from their mums within four hours or so, as this helps them get the best start in life.

After birth, the cria usually stay with their mums until they are around six months old, at which point they will be weaned, and halter training can begin.

Learning to wear a halter makes them easier to handle and means that when they are old enough, they can go on walking experiences with customers.

Alpacas and Llamas usually have a gestation period of 11 and a half months, so their pregnancies are planned way in advance. At the moment, Bardsea are excitedly awaiting the arrival of a further ten cria over the coming weeks.

Ste and Laura started off their herd with three Alpacas just over 5 years ago, and since then have expanded, they currently have 55 Alpacas and Llamas on site.

They have not decided on a name for Torvi’s baby yet but said there are a number of names on the list. With a total of 17 new arrivals expected to join the herd this year, they're going to need lots a very long list!