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Louis The Llama Recovering From Surgery, Ready To Head Home To Yellowstone

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4)- He's a llama that goes by a few different names, originally he was "Ike" the Instagram star, but now he's "Lucky Louie." Louis used to be a pack llama in Yellowstone, but that wasn't going so well for him.

Louis wild in YNP credit Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay
Louis the Llama (credit: Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay)

He had an abscessed tooth and didn't like being harnessed because it hurt him. So, he escaped!

Louis then ike wild in YNP credit Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay
Louis the Llama (credit: Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay)

"They tried to recapture him but he didn't let them," said Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay.

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Louis the Llama (credit: CBS)

Tired of his llama drama, his old owners let him go and Ike began living his best life in Yellowstone, but between predators and the winter weather he was in a lot of danger.

Louis Ike wild in YNP credit Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay
Louis the Llama (credit: Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay)

"He would not have survived the winter in Yellowstone," said Susi.

Louis the llama csu yellowstone
Louis the Llama (credit: CBS)

That's when Susi, a llama owner in Montana, decided she needed to do something. Others had attempted to wrangle and rope him but no harness would hold Ike. So, she took a gentler approach.

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Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay (credit: CBS)

Susi took two of her own llamas and hiked up to Louis Lake where he was last seen, "When he saw my llamas, he came running."

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Louis the Llama (credit: CBS)

Ike's owners let Susi adopt him and she named him Louis after Louis Lake where she found him. All she had to do was take care of his toothache.

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Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay with Louis (credit: CBS)

"And I treated it with antibiotics hoping it would clear up," said Susi.

The injury was worse than she thought. Instead of one abscessed tooth it was three and Louis needed surgery. Susi turned to the experts at the Colorado State Veterinary Teaching Hospital who fixed Louis up, but it wasn't easy.

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Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay with Louis (credit: CBS)

"It's pretty involved. I think it was a four or five-hour long procedure," said a representative from CSU.

Today Louis is on his way to recovery and Susi hopes they can go back to Yellowstone soon.

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Louis the Llama (credit: CBS)

"I hope that we will go packing in Yellowstone next year."

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