INDIANAPOLIS — The champion pavilion at the Indiana State Fair is filled with llamas.
The llamas all cared for by 4-H kids.
It's a job in itself caring for the animals, but adding in the heat Indiana is seeing, that job is even harder.
The 4-H'ers take a lot of time caring for the animals and knowing what to do to keep them cool in the hot temperatures.
Friday was bath day for the llamas, ahead of showmanship over the weekend.
The llama caretakers were getting them prepped, bathed and combed out.
While doing so, they have to keep an eye out for signs of heat related illness in their animals.
"Caring for him in the heat is one of the hardest things we've have to do," Exley Tricker said.
Llamas can get hot quickly, especially if their fur is matted.
Tricker, like the other 4-H kids, is making sure the llamas have water and a cool spot in the barn.
"Electrolytes are also a big thing, especially on really hot days. We can mix them with their food or their water," Tricker said.
For other kids, like Corey Wiser, they have to make sure the llama's pads don't get too hot on the pavement.
"Always making sure he is stepping on shade or water and doesn't stand still for too long," Wiser said.
It's a job these kids take seriously, one they are proud of.
They're hoping to score the grand champion ribbon at the end of the fair.
