#‘No drama llama’ Caesar McCool keeps protesters calm in Portland

The 6-year-old “llamactivist,” who made an appearance during the early days of this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, has become a mainstay in the streets of Portland these last few months, providing emotional support and amusement for weary protesters.

Caesar’s keeper, Larry McCool, recently told Insider that his 350-pound huggable frame and sage demeanor has been a source of positive energy for the agitated crowds.

“We can be right in the middle of 10,000 people and everyone is up and chanting, and marching, with megaphones and the whole thing,” he said. “All of a sudden Caesar will show up right in the middle and you can feel this calm come through.”

“I’ve had people just stand there for 20-30 seconds, a minute even, just with their arms wrapped around him, with tears, and say, ‘Man did I need that today,’ ” Larry said. “Maybe they’re going to have a better day because of a llama hug. Who would have thought a llama could bring this much joy?”

Larry is the owner and operator of Mystic Llama Farm in Jefferson, Oregon, about 65 miles west of Portland, where several of the animals are “living their best llama lives,” according to Facebook.

Ordinarily, Caesar and the other llamas of Mystic often frequent retirement communities and hospitals for the purpose of animal-assisted therapy. Larry explained that a llama is usually “kind of a standoffish animal,” but Caesar is different.

“None of mine [are] mean, but none have the temperament or patience of Caesar,” McCool said. “He’ll walk right up to someone and stand right beside them. He actually hugs back.”

Lately, however, the charismatic camelid has been on the road with Larry in support of BLM. In fact, he’s marched with protesters, for a variety of causes, more than 50 times in his short lifetime — and that can be dangerous.

“Sometimes we can hear the flash bombs going off or see the tear gas, but we make sure we’re out of the way before it’s dangerous,” said Larry, who has attended countless protests since the 1970s, well before he became a llama handler 24 years ago.

Fans on Facebook have praised the llamactivist for standing up when so many others who could have did not. One Portland resident pointed out in a viral tweet, “Why was this llama doing more than some of y’all today! He was out there protesting and everything.”