Camels

I must admit, I’ve always loved camels. Well, ever since my first camel-kiss, that is, on my first visit to UAE (InitialVisit). My wife Carol on the other hand was a bit disturbed by her’s…

Most of the world’s camels are dromedaries (one hump) and most of them live in North Africa and the Middle East (the larger Bactrian or two-humped, lives in the high steppes of Central Asia).

They’re charismatic animals and like most domesticated creatures, friendly to humans. Until the discovery of oil, they were the Bedouins’ most prized possession; a beast of burden, a dietary source of milk and meat, as well as a provider of hair and leather; their dung is used as fuel.

Moving the Herd

Nowadays, camels are farmed and it seems their most prominent product is chocolate (made from their milk).  Al Nassma, the most well known brand of camel chocolate hails from Abu Dhabi and has a café in the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, devoted to selling camel-chocolate-based food and drinks. Mall of the Emirates - Al Nassma Chocolate Dining

Robot Jockey drives Racing Camel to the Finish

Some dromedaries are bred with sleek, greyhound-like builds and are used for racing. Camel racing is popular in the UAE. The animals are ridden by robots the size and weight of the small children they replaced; child jockeys have been banned in UAE for more than ten years. Camel racing features a group of camels running around a 5km-6km sand track, being encouraged in their endeavours by owners driving parallel on a paved track in their SUVs, beeping their horns and manipulating their robot riders… Camels run by moving both legs on one side of their body together, giving them a swaying motion.

Of course, no visitor experience would be complete without a ride on a camel. Unlike horses, camels sit down in order to allow you to mount. Unfortunately, they have to get up again in order to go anywhere! And, it’s the going up and down that is the most unnerving, since they tilt front-end-down at the beginning and end of your trip. It’s as if you are being catapulted into the desert.

Time to Dismount!

Camels are amazing creatures though; able to withstand the loss of 25% of their body weight through sweating, although they rarely sweat; they limit moisture loss by increasing their body temperature from 34C to 40C during the heat of the day, trapping exhaling moisture in their nostrils, expelling syrup-like urine and faeces so dry it can be burned as fuel immediately. They withstand blowing sand by closing their nostrils and employing a a third transparent eyelid to clean sand from their eye, and eyelashes that are the envy of Maybelline models the world over… To gain sustenance from the meagre desert pickings they have a mouth like leather to chew the thorny plants.

Once you leave the city, camels are everywhere, often beside the roads. Roads through the desert are often barren, until you get to an intersection; there they are elaborately decorated and trimmed with grass, bushes and flowers. Sadly, compared to the thorny desert plants, intersection plants are fresh and tasty… …and camels don’t mix well with traffic.

We went to the Al Ain camel market this morning – this takes place every day and sees hundreds of traders from all over the area bartering for best animals – I had to turn down several offers…

Practice Run