Navy veteran Al Ellis shared a dream together with his spouse, Sondra, that someday they might flip their 207-acre ranch in rural Wyoming right into a llama sanctuary for veterans and first responders.
That dream took a success final August when Sondra died from a protracted sickness. Nonetheless, Ellis stayed true to his imaginative and prescient. Shortly earlier than Christmas, Ellis donated his land in Sublette County as a spot veterans can go to chill out, expertise the leisure great thing about Wyoming, and possibly befriend a number of llamas alongside the way in which.
Ellis, 84, lately offered the deed to his property to the Boulder Crest Basis, a veteran-led group that helps veterans.
“We would like different folks to take pleasure in this house — individuals who deserve it, individuals who we owe one thing to,” Ellis instructed Cowboy State Every day in a latest interview.
“Llamas are the explanation this home is right here. We visualized being outdated right here and wheeling over to the large home windows to observe the llamas.”
Whereas he misses his spouse dearly, Ellis is blissful that his property can lastly be used to brighten the spirits of fellow veterans.
Butterfly Moments Led to Llamas
Ellis has had an fascinating life, charted by a collection of what he calls “butterfly moments” which have led him to the particular person he’s at the moment.
He grew up in San Francisco the place his aunt taught him to fish at age 6. At 17, he enlisted within the Navy, serving throughout peacetime in between wars in Korea and Vietnam.
Within the Navy, he hung out on a salvage ship. One time, the ship turned caught on a big reef about 1,500 miles off the coast of Australia. For a number of days, divers labored tirelessly to blast and reduce the reef away from the ship. Ellis turned interested in diving. He yearned to be taught extra. That curiosity led to a stint as a completive spearfisherman, which even again within the Nineteen Sixties, Ellis admits was an “outdated, obscure” sport.
Ultimately, Ellis turned an abalone hunter. Abalones are giant marine snails which have ear-shaped shells for defense. Many years in the past, abalones had been closely wanted alongside the California coast as their tasty meat is taken into account a delicacy.
Ellis and a pal began an abalone enterprise, however he missed the joys of diving. When he reignited his ardour, he found one other booming enterprise – the ocean urchin trade.
“The timing was excellent to get into urchins,” he mentioned. “I received good at it proper on the time the worth went up.”
He bought a fishery and reworked it right into a seafood eatery referred to as Andrea’s. Ultimately, Ellis and his spouse opened a bigger seafood restaurant nearer to the Pacific coast. After turning 40 in 1982, the Navy veteran had his fill of diving and determined to retire and transfer to Wyoming.
Transfer to Wyoming
The couple bought some land alongside the Snake River close to Jackson Gap. Ellis purchased a backpack and some horses and, as soon as once more curious, went out to discover the Rocky Mountains. Round that point, an article from outdoor author Doyle Markham piqued his curiosity. Markham, who owned Snake River Llamas in Idaho Falls, Idaho, wrote concerning the joys of mountain pack llamas.
“As quickly as I learn the article, I referred to as him,” Ellis mentioned.
Markham invited him to his ranch to see the llamas in particular person.
“Inside 5 minutes of being on his property I instructed him I needed one,” Ellis mentioned. “He wrote the article, however it was his stud, Snake River Bandit, that lit the hearth.”
Markham knowledgeable Ellis that he may purchase a weanling, however he could be positioned on a six-year wait record.
“I used to be so hooked, I couldn’t wait six years,” Ellis instructed Cowboy State Every day.
However endurance paid off as Ellis ultimately bought six pack llamas, bred them and used them for guided treks across the Wind River, Teton, Gros Ventre, and Wyoming mountain ranges.
“It was unbelievable how many individuals on my journeys had by no means seen an evening sky,” Ellis mentioned.
Guests loved driving the llamas however had many questions, together with one which’s nearly common.
“The primary query is all the time, ‘Do they spit?’” Ellis mentioned. “In fact. Their spit is their first line of protection. However a well-raised llama received’t spit at an individual.”
His tour-guide enterprise booming, Ellis’ herd expanded to greater than 30 llamas, however he rapidly outgrew the 12 acres he owned alongside the Snake River. He didn’t need to give up his ardour since breeding llamas as pack or present animals turned a profitable endeavor.
“They’d hit the bottom at a minimal of $5,000,” Ellis mentioned, referring to a child llama.
He additionally felt the llamas he was elevating would turn out to be endangered.
“It was actually a mission for me. I needed to carry it on.”
New Alternative to Assist Veterans
The Ellises bought the Snake River property and moved to Boulder, Wyoming and much more acreage in 1998. By 2012, the couple had been elevating about 200 llamas, 60 of which had been pack animals.
On the time, Ellis was 70 and it was getting tougher to take care of the herd. He determined to retire.
In 2025, a number of months earlier than Sondra died, Ellis was watching “The Large Weekend Present” on Fox News, co-hosted by Johnny “Joey” Jones, a veteran who suffered large loss in Iraq, shedding each his legs from a roadside bomb. Jones was selling his ebook, “Behind the Badge: Answering the Name to Serve on America’s Homefront,” which turned a New York Occasions bestseller.
Ellis felt a reference to Jones and determined to achieve out to him.
“I actually favored him,” Ellis mentioned.
He had thought of turning his 207-acre property right into a sanctuary for veterans and figured Jones may assist generate some leads.
Jones linked with Navy veteran Ken Falke, co-founder and chairman of the Boulder Crest Basis, who received in contact with Ellis. Jones had lately completed the group’s PATHH (Progressive and Various Coaching for Serving to Heroes) program which helps veterans scuffling with trauma.
“As quickly as I met him, it was like ‘Wow,’” Falke mentioned. “I used to be a diver. He was a diver. I used to be within the Navy. He was within the Navy. There was this actually fascinating connection.”
Falke mentioned there’s a robust urgency to help ladies veterans and rural veterans who grapple with methods to seek out high quality psychological well being remedy. Based mostly on 2022 statistics from the Division of Veterans Affairs, Wyoming has a fairly excessive veteran suicide fee, regardless of its low inhabitants.
“Our hope is to regionalize our providers round Wyoming and Montana, Idaho and Utah,” he mentioned.
Nearer to house, in Boulder, Falke plans to make use of llamas for his nonprofit care. Llamas are recognized to unfold spontaneous happiness, and Ellis thinks they’ll have a constructive impact on veterans and first responders.
“Watching child llamas play once they’re in a gaggle is 100% contagious,” Ellis mentioned.
Going ahead, the Boulder Crest Basis plans to assemble a bunkhouse on Ellis’ property for the Warrior PATHH program. Whereas there was some pushback from locals, Ellis’ land was authorised by planning and zoning officers to perform as a visitor ranch.
“I’m not spiritual,” Ellis mentioned, “however all these factors come collectively. Boulder Crest may settle for it and I may give it. It’s unbelievable.”
