It might sound like the premise of a lost installment in the Llama Llama children’s book series, but there are llamas roving Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon (if it existed, that book would of course have to be titled Llama Llama Airport Drama).
The woolly camelids have joined the airport’s team of therapy dogs brought in periodically to cheer and soothe harried passengers confronting the protracted panic attack that air travel often feels like nowadays.
The animals are residents of Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas, a nonprofit based in Washington State that specializes in animal-assisted therapy at senior communities, schools, medical facilities, and, now, one major international airport.
First introduced at PDX during the 2023 holiday season, the llamas appear at the airport about twice a month, a spokesperson told People magazine. The animals often wear “I [Heart] PDX” uniforms and are available for petting and posing in pics.
The reaction among passengers, according to the airport rep, has been “pure joy”—a commodity as rare at an airport as, well, a llama at an airport.
In a statement sent to Frommer’s, PDX officials say the animal therapy program is part of an effort to “de-stress the travel journey.”
Another big component of that is the design of the new PDX terminal that opened over the summer. “We incorporated live trees, organic materials, natural light, and more open space,” according to the statement, “to create a sense of calm for everyone passing through.”
The idea is to get as close as an airport can get to evoking “a walk in a Pacific Northwest forest.”
Only with TSA agents.
And the occasional llama.
How to Know if Therapy Llamas Will Be at the Portland Airport When You’re There
In order to protect their well-being, the llamas aren’t at PDX every day, and there’s no posted schedule for when they can be spotted nibbling carrots with handlers at the terminals.
This can be a minor source of frustration for determined llama trackers. On the airport’s Instagram page, for instance, one commenter wrote back in the summer, “Is there a schedule for [the llamas’] visits? I’m a flight attendant and still always miss them.”
In a reply, airport officials recommend following PDX on social media (@PDXAirport on Instagram and @FlyPDX on Facebook) for the heads-up.
But scrolling through past posts, we found the airport’s llama notices a bit inconsistent.
A safer bet seems to be to follow the animals’ home farm, Mtn Peaks (@rojothellama), for more reliable updates, like a post from September with this caption:
“We’re taking Max and Jack to bring some smiles at the @pdxairport this week! Max will be there TOMORROW from 2-3:30PM, and Capt’n Jack will be visiting from 2-3:30PM on Monday. Depending on where we park our alpaca mobile, you will find us pre-security in the Crab Tunnel, Baggage Claim or Terminal areas. Hope to see you there!”
Even if you don’t get to see the animals in person, following them on social media will at least supply a break from your doomscrolling.