“I brought a llama to the centre of Varese, to make the children happy. And I’ll do it again.”

“This is what I do for children who love animals, for those who would like to have one, and for those who’ve never been to a farm or a zoo,” was how Giacomino Majani explained why he took a llama for a walk, on Sunday, along the streets in the centre of Varese: it was for the children.

PHOTO GALLERY

A llama in the centre of Varese

“I’m 25; I’ve always had a great love of animals and so I wanted to share it with others in a rather particular place.” So he got Isidoro (that is the llama’s name),  loaded him onto a van and took him for a walk along the streets in the centre. People took photos, videos and petted him: Isidoro soon became the star for all of the children (and not only). “I was with a friend of mine who was in charge of cleaning up anywhere we dirtied, but in the end, he became a photographer.” Giacomino had already paved the way on Saturday by bringing a pony to the centre, and will do it again in the future, “certainly on 17 January, for the blessing of the animals, and then we’d like to do it again on other occasions, if we’re still allowed to.” Already today, on their unusual walk through the city centre, they encountered two patrols of carabinieri, and then spoke to the local police, explaining what they were doing. In the end, they all let them carry on. “We bring well-behaved animals, we’re insured and we clean up if we make the streets dirty.”

“I’m from Varese; I make a living by tending to gardens and plants with my company ‘I giardini del Fauno’,” he said, “and my friends and I have some animals: llamas, ponies, horses, donkeys, chickens. It’s a passion of ours, but no one had ever thought of sharing it with everyone.” The walk through the town was rewarded on seeing the joy and smiles of the children. “After taking a photo, some parents also tried to give us some money, but we didn’t want any. We tried to explain to them that we weren’t there for that, only to make the children happy, and it was difficult to convince them not to give it to us.”mal