Evolution has engineered all animals to seek nutrition to sustain themselves. Because sources of nutrition may become available only very intermittently, many animals will try to eat as much as possible when there is food in order to sustain themselves until the next time that food is once again available. We human beings are only too aware that in many places, plentiful, high calorie food sources are available whenever they are wanted. This can often lead to overeating with the result of becoming overweight. As we have learned, obesity is the root cause of a wide variety of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and decreased mobility, among others.

Many zoo animals can acquire these same problems. In the wild, most animals must work very hard in order to sustain themselves. Herbivores must constantly be looking for forage while avoiding predators. The predators expend huge amounts of energy hunting for their food, generally only encountering success for some fraction of their efforts. A zoo environment is very different. Food is delivered to the animals with little energy expenditure on their part. If not monitored, this can lead to overweight issues and health problems.

Zoo personnel rely on a variety of industrial scales to weigh their animals. Small bench scales are appropriate for many birds and reptiles. These provide accurate weights in small decimals of a pound, up to 50 pounds or more. Large animals are weighed on standard platform scales, or special animal scales, manufactured by Arlyn Scales specifically for this purpose. These veterinary scales have a very low profile platform, easing the task of leading the animal onto the scale. Special software determines an accurate animal weight, even if it will not stand still. The active weighing devices built into the scale, known as load cells, are fabricated from stainless steel. These assure that the animal scale will be rugged and resistant to damage from liquids and other materials.

Alpacas are animals that are closely related to llamas, and less closely related to camels. They originated in South America, especially in the Andes Mountains where their meat, and more importantly, the fiber from their coats was highly prized. Alpacas are raised by thousands of breeders, owners and small farmers in the United States. The animals are considered by some to be pets, by others to be a source of valuable fiber to be sheared and sold, and by others as in investment.

As with any other animal, alpacas must be carefully monitored for health. They receive a variety of dietary supplements, and when ill, must receive the proper dosage of medication. Alpacas vary significantly in size. Of course the baby animals, known as crias, are quite small. Adults may range up to 150 pounds, or even larger. When determining the correct amount of medication, it is critically important to know the weight of the animal.

Alpaca scales, such as those offered by Arlyn Scales, are designed specifically for that purpose. The scale platform is very low to the ground, making it easy for the animal to step up. For comfort, it is covered with a rubber mat. The indicator includes special software to accurately weigh an animal that will not stand still. The digital display on the alpaca scale has large, black, graphics digits, making the weight easy to see. Although the scale capacity is 500 pounds, the readability is one tenth of a pound, allowing accurate weights to be determined for even the smallest alpacas.

In addition, the alpaca scale can serve a dual purpose by using it to weigh the fiber from the sheared animals. With the excellent sensitivity provided the Arlyn Scale can accurately provide fiber weights for both statistical and marketing purposes.