HE has his own Instagram account and attracts crowds wherever he goes, but Chewy the alpaca takes it all in his stride.

The Somerton Park alpaca just munches grass quietly in his front yard, waiting for his owners to take him to the beach.

He was arrived in the suburbs as a Christmas gift for alpaca-loving teenager Matt.

Matt’s mum Grace, who asked for her family’s surname to remain private, says Chewy has become a minor celebrity in Adelaide’s west since arriving at this new home.

media_camera Chewy has his on Instagram account. You can follow Chewy at chew_paca

“He draws such a crowd we bring him for walks after dark now,” she says.

Chewy was a Christmas present for Matt, 13, who fell in love with alpacas after a trip to the hills.

media_camera Best friends: Matt and Chewy the alpaca. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

“We drove up to the (Mt Compass) alpaca farm on Christmas Eve and picked Chewy,” Matt says.

“He was the smallest one there.”

Male alpacas are sold as guards for sheep or goats but if no-one buys them by the time they are two years old they are killed for meat.

Matt says Chewy loves rolling in the sand and wading in the sea. “He tries to drink the water sometimes — he watches the waves come over him,” he says.

The family says Chewy is much easier to look after than a dog but is not quite as affectionate — he spits smelly saliva at people who surprise or annoy him. “It stinks so bad,” Matt says.

Ambersun Alpacas owner Chris Williams says alpacas can make good pets but they need space to graze.

“If there’s enough room with native grasses, that’s the ideal situation,” Mr Williams says.

They normally sell for about $550. Farm animals are allowed to be kept as pets in the metropolitan area provided they do not cause a nuisance, danger or health risk to neighbours.

TELL US BELOW:Have you got — or have you seen in your neighbourhood — an unusual pet? We’d love to hear about it.