Well, there surely can be no better testing ground than Chicago...

N.B if any visitor to this page is a cartoonist we would love to post an illustration of this role on this page!

Llamas could lose their jobs as security guards

Weed-eating llamas could be made redundant after 10 years working as security guards in Chicago.

Rolf Wittich, president of Ameropan Oil Corporation, originally recruited the animals to trim grassy areas round a storage building.

But he discovered they also scared off burglars.

He says the premises haven't been burgled once since the llamas arrived, despite years of previous looting.

Now strict city regulations could mean the animals have to be removed. The regulations govern whether businesses can keep animals generally requiring special permits.

City officials said they will now determine how the llamas are used before deciding whether the rules have been broken, reports The Courier News.

"Since we've had the llamas, we've had zero burglaries at our installation," said Mr Wittich.

Ricardo Munoz, one of the city's aldermen, is backing the company.

"Here's a business owner that has safely figured out how to maintain his property and he's been doing it for 10 years," he said.

"As long as there's no animal cruelty involved and it's an industrial area, I would be more than willing to help him continue with his operations."