Ask anyone what comes to mind when they hear the word “desert” and it is likely to be “camels.” In fact, there is nothing strange about that. One of the most adaptable creatures, the camel can withstand the heat and harsh conditions of the desert. Not for nothing is it known as “the ship of the desert.”
For thousands of years, Arabs depended upon camels as the means to travel from place to place as well as to carry food and merchandise of all kinds by caravan from one end of the Arabian Peninsula to the other in addition to all over the Middle East and North Africa.
Almighty God called upon mankind to learn from the miracles of his creations and has referred to the camel in the Holy Qur’an. “Do they not look at camels, how they are created?” Verse 18, Surat Al-Ghashiya
The feet of the camel have two toes joined by an elastic pad. This construction enables the animal to grasp the earth firmly as it walks on sand. Its knees are covered with callus which is composed of skin as hard and thick as horn. When the camel lays down on the ground, the calluses protect it from being burned by the hot earth. Its long legs protect its underside from the searing heat of the sun-baked sand. Its eyelashes are long in order to prevent dirt and sand from getting into its eyes in desert storms. Its hump stores water as fat, enabling it to survive in the desert without water for up to two weeks. And the thick hairs on its body prevent the scorching sun rays from burning its skin; they also keep the animal warm in the freezing desert winter. A camel’s lips — with the help of its long neck — help it to eat leaves and shoots surrounded by thorns.
Decades after the Kingdom has been transformed into what it is today, Saudis still take pride in owning, raising and breeding camels. Today certain kinds of camels are used for racing — such as the races at the famous Janadriya Festival. They also compete in beauty competitions and there are many Saudis who regularly drink camel’s milk and eat camel meat.
Arab News visited a farm west of Riyadh and spoke to its owner who breeds and raises camels. We also had the opportunity of speaking to the farm’s camel keeper who enlightened us about this fascinating animal, its species, colors, uses, eating and mating habits.
According to Ibrahim Al-Katheeri, the owner of the farm, there are three kinds of Arabian camels. The first is the light brown-skinned camel called “shu’ul.” The second is the white-skinned one, known locally as “ufur.” The third is the dark brown-skinned — almost black — variety known as the “mujaheem.”
Each kind of camel has its own features and characteristics. For instance, the shu’ul is slightly stubborn and takes time to be tamed. The ufur are the friendliest and are also easy to break. Their milk is the sweetest though they produce less than the other two. The mujaheem are the most stubborn; they are extremely difficult to break and their females produce the largest quantities of milk.
Camels are also classified in terms of their fur. While some are furry, others have little or no fur at all; these are known as “darja.” The most sought-after camels are the furry ones. Features that are desirable in camels include a long neck and legs, the hump being at the far end of its back and the nose pointing downward. Another desirable feature is long and floppy lips.
. The man who is breaking the camel then attempts to ride it and begins to guide it by using the reins.” Breaking a camel usually takes about two weeks. “Each camel has its own keeper,” said Ibrahim. He said that camels know their keepers and familiarize themselves with his looks, scent and voice. Keepers usually train camels to respond to certain sounds. Other sounds by the keepers cause the females to relax when they are milked. If a group of camels were together and two keepers were calling them with different sounds, each camel would respond to the sound of its keeper. Unlike many animals, the camel has the ability to recognize a person’s scent for years and is able to distinguish his keeper from others. The camel is also born with a natural navigation system that enables it to recognize the area it grew up in despite its being moved to a similar landscape hundreds of kilometers away. It can also see in darkness. Camels have also been known to recognize a person who has harmed it. Sometimes the person’s scent and image are stored in the camel’s memory and the animal may seek revenge years later when he encounters the person. Most camels are named by their keepers after they are broken. The camels we saw on the farm responded to Ibrahim when he called out their names and came to him.
Few people know that camels actually weep when they are sad. “Female camels produce sounds that indicate sadness and depression when they are separated from their young; their eyes tear as well. We have had a couple of camels that died because they were separated from their young. They refused to eat or drink for weeks,” Ibrahim said.
There are many reasons why people in the Kingdom own camels nowadays, Ibrahim explained. “Some people keep them for their milk; some keep them as a hobby, and others keep them to trade.” The prices of camels in the Kingdom range from SR2,000 to SR10 million, depending on its features, bloodlines and how potent the male is. The name “fahil” is given to a male camel in its prime. “According to the beauty and the features in the offspring later produced by the female it mated with, a fahil’s price will go either up or down,” said Khaled Al-Shehri, a friend of Ibrahim who was visiting the farm.
Female camels are pregnant for nearly a year. They give birth to one baby camel at a time. Once a female has been bred, it is not interested in another male and has a way of telling other males to keep their distance. “It raises its tail high up in the air and lifts its neck to the sky when it is approached by another male camel. The male gets the message and moves on,” he added.
Camels are given different names according to their stage of development. From birth up to one year, they are called “hiwar.” From first year to second, “mafrood.” From second to third, “walad laboon.” From third to fourth, “higga.” After the fourth year they are called “ruba.”
Camel Milk
In terms of nutrition and the number of vitamins, camel’s milk is far richer than cow’s or goat’s milk. It is a good source of energy and stamina. It is also a natural laxative and will cleanse the stomach of those suffering from stomach ache or constipation. The milk is a bit sweeter than cow’s milk and can be drunk directly milked from the animal, provided that she has been feeding in the wild instead of on food that has been chemically enhanced. According to Ibrahim, the milk should not be boiled as boiling causes a loss of flavor.
Camels are not milked in the same way as cows. A person who wants to milk a camel must wait for its young to suckle a few minutes which starts the milk flowing. Only the lips of the young camel will stimulate the female to produce signals which result in the milk’s beginning to flow. Sometimes the camel owner protects the udder from dust and dirt by covering it with a special kind of cloth. “A camel who has just given birth produces the tastiest and sweetest milk,” Ibrahim pointed out.
The time for milking a camel also differs from the time for milking a cow. Whereas cows are usually milked at the same time every day, camels can be milked at any time but it is usually done after sunset. According to Ibrahim, the type of plants a camel eats affects the scent and flavor of its milk. In the past people never sold camel milk as it was considered shameful. “Camel’s milk is blessed,” ssaid Abu Abdullah. “It is offered to guests as a compliment.”
