The alpaca attack at a Bucks farm last week left the animals and their owner anxious for a second attack.

Farmer Mark Cleary was shocked when his three alpacas Albert, Del and Rodney were found wounded on August 2 after a suspected dog attack in Fulmer, Slough.

Now the trio are slowly on the mend from their leg and back injuries and Albert's castration surgery, but in need of nearly round the clock care.

Mark Cleary said: “The vet wanted me to keep them in until something had been done about the dogs in case they come back, which she was concerned about.

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“With the heat at the moment, there’s a lot of flies. We were trying to keep them isolated to try and keep flies away from their wounds, because if flies lay eggs in their wounds then you get maggots and then we got a problem, because that could kill them.

“We just let them back out on the field today for some exercise, and we’ll just see how they get on. We put some stuff to keep the flies away from them, which hopefully it does.

“Del, the littlest one, has lost a lot of weight, and the vet said it was due to stress.”

When the trio was let back on the field, they were “over the moon” and “really happy”.

They all need three injections of antibiotics and penicillin daily, and Del, who is still limping, also needs painkillers for his injured back leg.

Mr Cleary added: “It’s been a lot of work, we didn’t need it happening and hopefully it won’t happen again.”

After locating two dogs he claimed were responsible for the attack, he informed the police.

The National Farmers’ Union spokesperson said: “Livestock worrying and dog attacks have a massive impact on farmers, both financially and emotionally.

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“The pandemic saw a surge in pet ownership and countryside visitors, and the cost of dog attacks on farm animals has risen to an estimated £1.3m.

 “Farmers look after over 70% of the UK’s countryside and many public footpaths cross through farmers’ land, so it’s vital that we establish measures to ensure both livestock, members of the public and their dogs are kept safe.

 “Livestock worrying is a crime and any incident should be reported to the police. Dog owners are wholly responsible for their dogs, and they should be kept under control at all times and prevented from straying. Farmers must report all incidents and the police must take these incidents seriously, investigating fully.

 “We understand that owners must exercise their dogs, but we ask them to do this responsibly to prevent unnecessary suffering for our livestock.”

Thames Valley Police were not available to comment.