Camels — the iconic desert-adapted camelids — are vital to the livelihoods and cultures of communities across the Middle East, North Africa, and Central and South Asia. With over 35 million dromedary (one-humped) camels and approximately 2 million Bactrian (two-humped) camels globally, their welfare encompasses diverse contexts from pastoral nomadism to commercial racing and milk production.
Species and Distribution
Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius): Approximately 35 million; concentrated in East Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan — 70% of global population), the Arabian Peninsula, and South Asia. Domesticated around 3,000 BCE.
Bactrian (Camelus bactrianus): Approximately 2 million domesticated; cold desert-adapted; concentrated in Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, and neighboring countries.
Wild Bactrian (Camelus ferus): Critically endangered; fewer than 1,000 individuals in the Gobi Desert. Genetically distinct from domesticated Bactrian.
Feral dromedaries in Australia: Approximately 300,000 feral dromedaries in central Australia, descendants of 19th-century imports — a major management challenge.
Importance to Livelihoods: In Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan, camels represent major household wealth. A family's camel herd may be their primary asset and food security buffer. Camel milk is the primary nutrition source for many pastoral communities. This economic centrality makes welfare improvements both important and complex to implement.
Behavioral and Physiological Characteristics
Camel welfare must be understood through camelid-specific physiology:
Desert adaptation: Camels can tolerate extreme dehydration (losing 25–30% body weight in water), extreme temperatures, and poor-quality forage — but these adaptations have limits
Hump function: The hump stores fat (not water) as an energy reserve; a depleted hump indicates significant nutritional stress
Social structure: Camels live in groups; isolation is stressful
Stoic pain expression: Like donkeys, camels mask pain effectively — welfare problems may not be obvious until advanced
Intelligence: Camels are highly intelligent, form relationships with familiar handlers, and show clear preferences
Saddle and girth wounds: Ill-fitting saddles cause pressure necrosis and chronic wounds; fly strike is a secondary welfare problem
Nutritional stress: During drought, pastoralists may walk camels for days without adequate water or forage
Noseplug injuries: Traditional noseplug management (wooden peg through nasal septum for control) causes pain and infection
Limited veterinary access: Pastoral camels in remote areas rarely receive veterinary care; disease and injuries go untreated
Traditional Veterinary Knowledge
Pastoral communities have sophisticated traditional knowledge of camel health:
Experienced pastoralists recognize early signs of disease and apply traditional remedies
Some traditional practices (hot iron branding for disease treatment) cause additional welfare harms
Integration of traditional knowledge with modern veterinary practice has been effective in some programs
Camel Racing Welfare
Major Welfare Concern: Camel racing is culturally significant and commercially substantial in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. The sport involves high-speed races with significant injury risk. A major historic welfare scandal was the use of child jockeys — children (often trafficked) as young as 2–3 years old. This practice has been officially banned across Gulf states.
Robot Jockeys
Following bans on child jockeys, Gulf states introduced robotic jockeys:
Robotic jockeys (mechanized systems with radio-controlled whips) eliminated child welfare abuses
Racing camels now run with lightweight robotic riders controlled remotely from accompanying vehicles
This technological solution successfully addressed child trafficking while maintaining the racing tradition
Remaining Racing Welfare Issues
Racing accidents cause injuries and deaths — fractures, cardiovascular events, and musculoskeletal damage
Training practices including forced exercise during extremely hot conditions raise welfare concerns
Performance-enhancing drug use (including growth hormones) has been documented
Camels that fail to perform may receive inadequate care or inappropriate management
UAE Camel Racing Authority has developed welfare standards, but enforcement is inconsistent
Camel Milk Production
Camel milk is nutritionally significant and commercially expanding globally:
Traditional small-scale camel dairying (camels milked alongside calves) is generally considered lower-welfare-risk
Commercial camel dairy operations are expanding, particularly in UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan
Welfare concerns in commercial dairy include early calf separation, intensive milking regimes, and confined housing for desert-adapted animals
Camel milk cannot be stimulated without the presence of the calf — camels will refuse to let down milk if the calf is absent — creating a welfare-aligned management requirement
Feral Camel Management in Australia
Australia's feral camel population presents unique management challenges:
Feral dromedaries cause significant ecological damage in arid ecosystems — overgrazing, water source fouling, and infrastructure damage
Aerial culling programs have been used at large scale — welfare of animals shot from helicopters varies depending on shooting accuracy
Ground shooting provides more controllable humane killing but is more expensive
Live capture and sale or export has been explored as an alternative, but welfare during capture and transport is significant
Immunocontraception is theoretically applicable but practically challenging at scale
2024 Management Debate: Large-scale aerial culling programs in Australia have faced criticism from animal welfare organizations for inhumane shooting incidents. Improved protocols requiring confirmation of death, trained shooters, and minimized wounding rates are increasingly required.
Camel Slaughter Welfare
Camels are slaughtered for meat across North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia:
Traditional and religious slaughter (halal) is performed without pre-slaughter stunning in most camel-consuming countries
Camels are large, strong animals — restraint for slaughter is challenging and rough handling is common
The sticking wound to the neck (typical halal method) causes death through bleeding; scientific opinion suggests consciousness is maintained for significant periods without stunning
Stunning before slaughter (reversible electrical stunning compatible with halal) has been adopted in some countries and could significantly reduce suffering
Hump condition is a useful indicator of energy reserves and nutritional welfare
Body condition scoring systems adapted for camels assess muscle and fat over ribs, pelvis, and spine
Behavioral indicators (activity level, feeding behavior, social engagement) provide welfare assessment tools
The Camel Grimace Scale is under development, adapting the equine and donkey grimace models
International Welfare Programs
Active Organizations:
Brooke provides mobile veterinary services and owner education in East Africa and South Asia (camel populations included)
SPANA operates in North Africa and the Sahel where working camels are significant
FAO programs on camel health and production in pastoralist regions include welfare components
World Animal Protection campaigns on working camel welfare in tourism contexts
Conclusion
Camel welfare in 2025 spans a wide spectrum — from nomadic pastoral systems where camels are valued family assets, to commercial racing and dairy operations with specific welfare challenges, to feral population management. The elimination of child jockeys in Gulf racing represents one of the most significant recent welfare improvements. Ongoing priorities include addressing saddle wounds and overloading in working camels, improving slaughter practices, and developing welfare-compatible management for feral populations. Camels' cultural centrality to communities across three continents means welfare improvements must be pursued through culturally sensitive, economically-aligned approaches that respect pastoral knowledge while introducing evidence-based improvements.