Camels are working animals across arid regions of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, facing welfare challenges from racing, heavy load carrying, poor nutrition and long-distance transport.
Camel welfare is understudied relative to other large working animals. Their stoic pain expression — they rarely vocalise even when severely injured — means welfare problems are frequently overlooked. Overloading, inadequate water access in extreme heat, poor harness fit and wounds from restraint devices are common welfare failures. Camel racing creates additional welfare issues through training methods that can include food and water restriction. The transition from child to robot jockeys in Gulf racing was a significant human rights and animal welfare improvement, but racing itself still involves training methods that may cause fear and distress in the animals.