On Thursday morning, University of Portland’s campus transformed into a maze of large “Pilot” purple luggage bins, tables dressed in quirky dorm T-shirts getting passed along to nervous freshmen as pop music blares in their eardrums, and concerned looking parents trying to disguise their pain of leaving a child to fend for themselves and push aside their all-consuming desire for organizing everything in their child’s dorm room.
Somewhere in the far corner of this maze was an unusual addition to the chaos: Rojo, the llama. His day job includes hugging preschoolers and giving carrot kisses to those in nursing homes and hospitals. He often struts the halls with a purple trimmed flowery llama dress on, brightening the day of anyone he comes across.
Rojo was not in a nursing home or a hospital on Thursday, however. He was roaming the corridors of Fields Hall and The Beacon was determined to find him.
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“He’s the best llama I’ve ever known,” said senior Fields residence assistant, Megan Launceford.
Commonly known as the ”World’s Most Beloved Llama,” this furry, goofy animal is one of the seven llamas and alpacas at Mnt Peaks Therapy Llamas and Alpacas.
Rojo is trained to wander indoors and become a source of comfort for those in need of comforting.
Excited students and faculty alike were scanning the open rooms for his furry presence only to find newly moved-in freshmen lounging in their lofted beds. Around the entrance of Fields and Schoenfeldt, an orientation leader looking to get a picture with the famed llama mentioned to a colleague that he must be somewhere in the building, as the heat outside was too much to bear.
Rojo could be found on the fourth floor. He was surrounded by a plethora of admirers, officially referred to as “
The local celebrity was surprisingly people-friendly. Not only did he refrain from spitting on anyone, he was leaning his head down on whoever was closest and allowing students to pet and hug him. According to Bruno, Rojo’s only incident in his four years of visiting UP students involved sneezing on an RA.
Bruno said that Rojo’s services were surprisingly inexpensive. It costs $200 for two hours of Rojo’s precious time. In Bruno’s eyes, the memories Rojo gives to families during a difficult time like move-in day are priceless.
“Saying goodbye is not going to be easy for the parents,” Bruno said. “So we had this idea of ‘Say goodbye Papa and Mama and say hello to the llama.’”
