The Incas used llamas as their primary pack animal. The domesticated South American camelid was exceptionally well suited to the Andes, where steep trails, thin air, and limited wheeled transport made animal pack carriers essential.
Llamas carried supplies such as food, textiles, tools, and military equipment along the Inca road network. A healthy llama could carry roughly 25 to 30 percent of its body weight for several miles, although it could not carry a rider. Thousands of llamas could travel in caravans, helping move goods between highland settlements and imperial centers.
Llamas were valuable for more than transport. They supplied meat, wool, leather, dung for fuel, and sacrificial offerings. Alpacas were primarily prized for their finer fiber, while vicuñas were wild animals whose exceptionally soft wool was carefully collected. Horses arrived with the Spanish, so they were not part of the pre-Columbian Inca transport system. The llama’s role as a pack animal was therefore central to Inca logistics and expansion.