A huarizo is a cross between a male llama

Llama

The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....

 and a female alpaca

Alpaca

An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...

. It is generally bred for its exceptional fleece. Huarizo are generally sterile, but recent genetic research conducted at the University of Minnesota Rochester

University of Minnesota Rochester

The University of Minnesota Rochester is the newest campus of the University of Minnesota system, having been formally established in December 2006. Over 35 academic programs are available on the campus in Rochester, Minnesota located downtown near the Mayo Clinic. In April 2008, Stephen...

 suggests that it may be possible to preserve fertility with minimal genetic modification

Genetic engineering

Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...

. Most huarizos in the United States are now fertile. The original large, short fleece llama comprises only about 10% of the population.