Temperatures have plunged to 10 Fahrenheit (-12 degrees Celsius) in the southern mountains, a rare phenomenon even at high altitudes in the Southern Hemisphere winter.

According to unofficial figures, which are hard to verify in remote highland regions, as many as 80,000 of the beasts have already died.

The cameloid council said Peru has 3 million alpacas, one million llamas, 140,000 vicunas and 4,000 guanacos - all related to camels.

The animals are a symbol of Peru. The vicuna, which has ultra-soft wool used for super-fine cloth, appears on all coins.

Ninety percent of the world's population of alpacas, prized for their wool and high-protein, low-fat meat, live in Peru. And 90 percent of all Peruvian alpacas are raised by small farmers, who rely on their trade to live.

The cameloid council said alpacas, which live at altitudes of 13,000 feet to 16,000 feet (4,000 metres to 5,000 metres) have been the hardest hit. Pasture land is buried under deep snow leaving the animals with no food and exposed to pneumonia.

It is too early to tell if the textile trade would be hit, the group said.

Weather experts say the unusual cold is a clear indication of an impending El Nino weather phenomenon, an abnormal warming of waters in the eastern Pacific that occurs every four to five years and distorts wind and rainfall patterns.

The worst affected areas are also top tourist destinations, including Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca near Bolivia, and Cusco, gateway to the fabled Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo flew to Puno over the weekend to oversee aid efforts. The government has declared a state of emergency in southern Peru and has flown in aid.