Animal lovers call on Australia to build farm for feral camels
Posted by Arab News
Muhammad Al-Sulami | Arab News
Thursday 28 January 2010 (12 Safar 1431)


JEDDAH: With the campaign to prevent the Australian government from killing the country’s feral camels, the Saudi camel breeders and lovers have suggested that Australia build a big farm to care for the camels.

The farm would be financed by Gulf Arab money and skilled camel handlers could also be sent to care for the legendary ships of the desert.

Talking to Arab News, a number of camel breeders agreed that it might be very expensive to transport the camels from Australia to the Arab Gulf and said the Australian camels might not be able to adapt to the climatic conditions in this part of the world.

“For these reasons, we suggest that the camels be kept in their original home and that Australia build a farm with Gulf finances in which trained camel keepers would look after them,” they said.

Rabee Al-Rimaish, the owner of a number of camels, warned that even if the Australian camels were brought here, they would always be homesick for their natural habitat.

“Camels are emotionally attached to their birthplaces so they always want to go there if they are taken away,” Al-Rimaish said. “Camels are by nature very sensitive animals and they have a strong attachment to their surrounding,” he added.

He recalled an incident that occurred with his own camels about three years ago.

“I was moving my herd to a place near Qunfudah on a three-day journey when one of my female camels got lost,” said Al-Rimaish.

“The herder did not notice that the camel had separated itself from the herd. After two days, I found her in the place which we had left. She was born there and she had returned to her birthplace,” he said.

He told the story to show the problems of bringing Australian camels to the Kingdom.

“Instead, I strongly support the establishment of a special camel farm in Australia. This is better than killing them or transporting them outside their country,” he said.

Al-Rimaish also said the camels which are used to grazing in sandy areas would find it difficult to feed themselves in mountainous terrains.

According to him, Sudanese and Ethiopian camel herders have immense experience in dealing with camels. “They can be sent to Australia to make the camels feel comfortable when they are in contact with humans,” he added.

Saad Al-Johani, another camel owner, categorically denied that camels were wild animals. “They are tame animals and are very nice and easy to deal with,” he said.

He said the camels were domestic animals and not at all wild. “People who are not in direct contact with camels may consider them to be wild but in fact they are not,” he said.

Al-Johani said the camels had special eyes which see man larger than his real size.

“They see any man who gets in touch with them to be of a very big size so they easily yield to his power,” he added.

He described camels to be as useful as horses and sheep. “Their milk is very nutritious and can by itself be a complete meal for man,” he said.

Bunayan Al-Aali said camel milk and urine were used for curing a number of diseases, including hepatocirrhosis.

“I had a cousin who suffered from liver malfunction. We treated him with camel milk and urine. After a month and a half, he had fully recovered. He is now quite normal,” Al-Aali recalled.

He said a research into medical uses for camel urine had been carried out in both Sudan and Saudi Arabia, adding that the best urine came from female camels that did not give birth.

Dr. Fatin Khorsheed, head of the tissue and cell unit at King Fahd Medical Research Center, said in a recent press statement that camel milk and urine were effective medications for cancer, specially in early stages.

She reportedly said cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy could also drink camel milk and urine as part of treatment.

News Link: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=131964&d=28&m=1&y=2010&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom