Four llamas have been killed in two years at the ranch of Sigmund Lichter in Frazier Park. The same two free-roaming pit bull dogs have been identified by by ranch hand Jose Meza. He saw the dogs on both occasions. One is white and the other is brown.
By staff of The Mountain Enterprise
Sigmund Lichter of Frazier Park reported Friday, Jan. 13 that two of his llama herd were attacked and killed from 8:20-8:40 a.m. by freeroaming pit bulls that entered his ranch east of Harriet Road and Edison Road. The dogs were seen by ranch hand Jose Meza, who said in an interview that he has now witnessed four llamas killed in two years by the same two dogs. Meza described the dogs during an interview in Spanish, saying one was white and one was “café” (coffee brown).
Meza also said he had seen the dogs in a car at Don’s Liquor and Gas Market in Frazier Park during 2011, after they had killed the two earlier llamas.
He was able to give a description of the man who was driving the vehicle, and provided a description of the car, which he saw during the past year.
On January 13 he chased the dogs away, but not before they had killed one and fatally injured another llama. The second animal had to be put down.
Lichter went to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Frazier Park substation to try to report the event that same morning, but was told by Deputy Ochoa that the substation would not take a report. Later, Sergeant Mark Brown called to say a report could be filed. The llamas are worth between $1,000 and $5,000 each, Lichter said.
This is part of the January 20, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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