RIYADH, 30 January 2008 — A panel of senior officials investigating last year’s mysterious deaths of livestock, including that of some 5,000 camels, across the Kingdom yesterday attributed the deaths to contaminated feed supplied by a flourmill in Khamis Mushayt in the southern Asir Region.
The panel ruled out any criminal motives behind the contamination.
“The first cases of camel deaths that were reported in Riyadh, Asir, Makkah, Najran and Jizan regions took place at short intervals in August 2007,” the panel said in a statement.
A second wave of camel deaths were reported in Yanbu in December. Farmers there also said their animals died after eating contaminated feed.
Tests conducted on animals showed that toxins in animal feed rather than a contagious disease caused the deaths.
“The tests were carried out on samples taken from dead animals and suspicious feed,” the Ministry of Agriculture said.
“The results showed that the samples contained salinomycin, a compound to which camels are highly allergic. Laboratory tests showed that the bran used to feed camels contained high concentrations of this compound,” the ministry said.
Earlier this month, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah ordered payment of SR20,000 in compensation for each dead animal to their owners.
According to press reports, nearly 5,000 camels and other animals died in various parts of the Kingdom.
Agriculture Minister Dr. Fahd Balghunaim consistently ruled out claims that the deaths were caused by an infectious disease.
The minister said a common factor in all the deaths was that their fodder feedstock was bran.
“We took bran samples from locations where these camels died and subjected them to tests in the veterinary laboratories.”
The Kingdom’s camel population is estimated at 850,000. Ministry officials point out that camel breeding in the Kingdom is undertaken for various purposes - racing, milk, and also for beauty contests.
