Tasmanian police have called for the public's help after a trio of alpacas was stolen from a property on the island's north-west earlier this month.

The animals, along with a custom-built grey animal carrier trailer, were stolen from the property sometime between July 14 and 21, Tasmania Police said in a Facebook post.

"The alpacas had very long fleece and were in need of shearing at the time," the post read.

No, this is a llama, not an alpaca. ( Pixabay, file )

The animals were kept on the unoccupied property and were being cared for by neighbours after their owner died.

The deceased's family, who live interstate, had arranged for the neighbours to look after the alpacas while they tried to rehome them.

Tasmania Police Sergeant Lee-Anne Walters said she believed the thief was aware of the situation and the animals were "probably targeted".

"Someone's known that the gentleman has passed away and that the property is unoccupied at the moment," she said.

Alpacas are generally sheared once a year, but the three missing alpacas have about three years' wool on them, with Sergeant Walters describing them as "quite scruffy in appearance".

Alpacas, often confused with llamas, are considered the more timid of the two and are part of the camel family.

Too scruffy for commercial gain

Kellie Boyd, one of the owners of Classic Alpaca Stud farm in Westbury, near Launceston, said it would be hard for someone with no knowledge of alpacas to load them onto a truck, but that anyone familiar with livestock would not find it too difficult.

"Generally, anyone who's got some knowledge of handling livestock, be that sheep, cattle or even horses, probably wouldn't have any problem," she said.

Good quality alpaca fibre can go for anywhere between $5 to $50 dollars per kilo, but Ms Boyd said due to their unshorn state, the stolen alpacas' fleece would be nearly worthless.

"It's like having overgrown wool on a sheep — the fibre is far too long to actually manage and process," she said.

"So the only person that may probably benefit from it would be a hand-spinner or someone like that that's able to put the time into cutting it down to a workable length and brushing it out.

"A commercial producer is not going to want it."

She said she did not believe the alpacas would have been stolen for financial gain.

"Unless they're intending to on-sell the animals, even then it would be difficult, because you're selling them on as pets."

Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of the alpacas and trailer is urged to contact Smithton Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestoppertas.com.au.