Frustrated Chinese investor’s last resort: selling his pet alpaca

Global Business

A cute and fluffy alpaca wearing a “for sale” sign around its neck appeared on the streets of Kunming city, Yunnan Province in China on July 28, attracting crowds of curious onlookers.

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The alpaca’s owner said he was trying to sell it since all of his investments have been trapped in the plunging Chinese stock market.


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“I hate to part with the alpaca, if it were not for an urgent need of money,” Mr. Fang said, adding that he and his family love the alpaca, which has stayed with them since it was young.

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But drastic fluctuations on the stock market have driven him into a corner. Selling the pet for cash is the last resort he can think of, after taking out a mortgage on the family’s house and car.

Alpacas have been a hit on Chinese social media because of their ‘half-cute-half-stupid’ look and their Chinese nickname “Grass Mud Horse,” which rhymes with a frequently used curse word.

Some onlookers considered buying the alpaca, but gave up in the end over price. No news yet on whether it has been sold.

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