Australian alpacas pictured at Qifengshan Breeding Base, Yangqu county, Shanxi province [Photo/sxrb.com]

Yangqu county in Shanxi province has recently welcomed 681 Australian alpacas to the area, after the animals underwent a thorough examination and period of quarantine.

The new arrivals bring the total number of alpacas at the local Qifengshan Breeding Base to 1,800.

In recent years, the breeding center has profited from alpaca breeding, as well as the byproducts of alpaca wool and tourists coming to visit the animals.

And for Shanxi residents, the animals have become an important source of jobs and income, according to local authorities.

For example, Qifengshan Breeding Company gives dividends of 960,000 yuan ($139,921) per year to eight villages in Yangxing town, Yangqu county, and purchases fodder from local villages, while giving jobs to residents –– helping raise incomes across the county.