Not to worry. My experience with llamas in the Andes left me with the knowledge that they are well capable of taking care of themselves.
I disagree with the statement in this article that a llama can carry heavier loads than a mule. And by the way, I think these folks should know that a llama will only spit at you if he can't bite you.
Funny, mules were the animal of choice as beasts of burden until this century. Are the Israeli's saying they lack the intelligence of their forebears to manage and train a team of mules? Also I believe most mules produced from a standard sized horse dam are able to carry much more than the 132 pounds each llama can carry.
And I would like to see an Israeli adult ride a llama.