Guinea Pigs are originally from the Andes Mountains of South America. People in Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru have kept guinea pigs as domestic animals for as long as 3.000 years. Amongst them who bred guinea pigs were Incas and others that lived in the Andes Mountains. They are therefore known as one of the first animals people took as domestic animals. Originally they were bred for the meat, but later also for animal sacrifices (500 – 0 BC). Still today, tribes in the Andes keep guinea pigs as pets but also for their meat. In Iceland, they are pets and will be three to five years old.
