Navy veteran Al Ellis shared a dream with his wife, Sondra, that one day they would turn their 207-acre ranch in rural Wyoming into a llama sanctuary for veterans and first responders.
That dream took a hit last August when Sondra died from a prolonged illness. However, Ellis stayed true to his vision. Shortly before Christmas, Ellis donated his land in Sublette County as a place veterans can go to relax, experience the recreational beauty of Wyoming, and maybe befriend a few llamas along the way.
Ellis, 84, recently provided the deed to his property to the Boulder Crest Foundation, a veteran-led organization that helps veterans.
“We want other people to enjoy this space — people who deserve it, people who we owe something to,” Ellis told Cowboy State Daily in a recent interview.
“Llamas are the reason this house is here. We visualized being old here and wheeling over to the big windows to watch the llamas.”
While he misses his wife dearly, Ellis is happy that his property can finally be used to brighten the spirits of fellow veterans.
Butterfly Moments Led to Llamas
Ellis has had an interesting life, charted by a series of what he calls “butterfly moments” that have led him to the person he is today.
He grew up in San Francisco where his aunt taught him to fish at age 6. At 17, he enlisted in the Navy, serving during peacetime in between wars in Korea and Vietnam.
In the Navy, he spent time on a salvage ship. One time, the ship became stuck on a large reef about 1,500 miles off the coast of Australia. For several days, divers worked tirelessly to blast and cut the reef away from the ship. Ellis became curious about diving. He yearned to learn more. That interest led to a stint as a completive spearfisherman, which even back in the 1960s, Ellis admits was an “old, obscure” sport.
Eventually, Ellis became an abalone hunter. Abalones are large marine snails that have ear-shaped shells for protection. Decades ago, abalones were heavily sought after along the California coast as their tasty meat is considered a delicacy.
Ellis and a friend started an abalone business, but he missed the thrill of diving. When he reignited his passion, he discovered another booming business – the sea urchin industry.
“The timing was perfect to get into urchins,” he said. “I got good at it right at the time the price went up.”
He purchased a fishery and remodeled it into a seafood eatery called Andrea’s. Eventually, Ellis and his wife opened a larger seafood restaurant closer to the Pacific coast. After turning 40 in 1982, the Navy veteran had his fill of diving and decided to retire and move to Wyoming.
Move to Wyoming
The couple purchased some land along the Snake River near Jackson Hole. Ellis bought a backpack and a few horses and, once again curious, went out to explore the Rocky Mountains. Around that time, an article from outdoors writer Doyle Markham piqued his interest. Markham, who owned Snake River Llamas in Idaho Falls, Idaho, wrote about the joys of mountain pack llamas.
“As soon as I read the article, I called him,” Ellis said.
Markham invited him to his ranch to see the llamas in person.
“Within five minutes of being on his property I told him I wanted one,” Ellis said. “He wrote the article, but it was his stud, Snake River Bandit, that lit the fire.”
Markham informed Ellis that he could buy a weanling, but he would be placed on a six-year wait list.
“I was so hooked, I couldn’t wait six years,” Ellis told Cowboy State Daily.
But patience paid off as Ellis eventually purchased six pack llamas, bred them and used them for guided treks around the Wind River, Teton, Gros Ventre, and Wyoming mountain ranges.
“It was unbelievable how many people on my trips had never seen a night sky,” Ellis said.
Visitors enjoyed riding the llamas but had many questions, including one that’s almost universal.
“The first question is always, ‘Do they spit?’” Ellis said. “Of course. Their spit is their first line of defense. But a well-raised llama won’t spit at a person.”
His tour-guide business booming, Ellis’ herd expanded to more than 30 llamas, but he quickly outgrew the 12 acres he owned along the Snake River. He didn’t want to quit his passion since breeding llamas as pack or show animals became a lucrative endeavor.
“They’d hit the ground at a minimum of $5,000,” Ellis said, referring to a baby llama.
He also felt the llamas he was raising would become endangered.
“It was really a mission for me. I had to carry it on.”
New Opportunity to Help Veterans
The Ellises sold the Snake River property and moved to Boulder, Wyoming and a lot more acreage in 1998. By 2012, the couple were raising about 200 llamas, 60 of which were pack animals.
At the time, Ellis was 70 and it was getting harder to care for the herd. He decided to retire.
In 2025, a few months before Sondra died, Ellis was watching “The Big Weekend Show” on Fox News, co-hosted by Johnny “Joey” Jones, a veteran who suffered tremendous loss in Iraq, losing both his legs from a roadside bomb. Jones was promoting his book, “Behind the Badge: Answering the Call to Serve on America’s Homefront,” which became a New York Times bestseller.
Ellis felt a connection with Jones and decided to reach out to him.
“I really liked him,” Ellis said.
He had thought about turning his 207-acre property into a sanctuary for veterans and figured Jones could help generate some leads.
Jones connected with Navy veteran Ken Falke, co-founder and chairman of the Boulder Crest Foundation, who got in touch with Ellis. Jones had recently finished the organization’s PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes) program which helps veterans struggling with trauma.
“As soon as I met him, it was like ‘Wow,’” Falke said. “I was a diver. He was a diver. I was in the Navy. He was in the Navy. There was this really interesting connection.”
Falke said there’s a strong urgency to assist women veterans and rural veterans who grapple with ways to find quality mental health treatment. Based on 2022 statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Wyoming has a rather high veteran suicide rate, despite its low population.
“Our hope is to regionalize our services around Wyoming and Montana, Idaho and Utah,” he said.
Closer to home, in Boulder, Falke plans to use llamas for his nonprofit care. Llamas are known to spread spontaneous happiness, and Ellis thinks they’ll have a positive effect on veterans and first responders.
“Watching baby llamas play when they’re in a group is 100% contagious,” Ellis said.
Going forward, the Boulder Crest Foundation plans to construct a bunkhouse on Ellis’ property for the Warrior PATHH program. While there was some pushback from locals, Ellis’ land was approved by planning and zoning officials to function as a guest ranch.
“I’m not religious,” Ellis said, “but all these points come together. Boulder Crest could accept it and I could give it. It’s unbelievable.”
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