Camels For First Timers?

Sarus Crane

Sarus Crane

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
So I was wondering if anyone had experiences either working with or own camels because I was thinking about owning one someday instead of a horse. Which is better Dromedary or Bactrian? I'm a big Titanotylopus nebraskensis fan and have always enjoyed learning about camel evolution and the diffrent varieties including their South American relatives the Guanaco, Alpaca & Vicuna. Are there any strains of Dromedarys that get almost Titanotylopus sized? I heard that there is a type of Camel called an F1 cross that gets big but I don't know how it is in temperment vs the main two species.
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I'd be getting only one, preferably a young gelded male and would train it from a young age with positive reinforcement. I've heard that camels can be sweet and very intelligent but you always need to treat them with respect or they will turn on you. I remember being at Cedar Point a couple years back in their barnyard section and they had a camel but I was hesitant to turn my back on it because I remember reading in ZooBooks that camels can bite and have some wicked canines. Maybe I was being overcautious but since I didn't know the camel personally I didn't want to cross any lines with the camel that could result in an accident.
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I also heard that camels aren't as expensive as horses and they require less upkeep so if anyone could give me any feedback please do.
 
Sarus Crane said:
there is a type of Camel called an F1 cross that gets big
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"F1" is a general term for the first filial generation of offspring of distinctly different parental types. A more common name for said camel hybrid is Tülu. I've seen a few Tülus in various private collections, but I don't think anyone is deliberately breeding them outside of Asia (where they are considered a good compromise between the alpine cross country mobility of the Bactrian and the heat tolerance of the Dromedary camel as well as used for competitive camel wrestling events).
Turkey: Tradition of Camel Wrestling Making a Comeback

As for getting introduced into camel husbandry, I'd recommend you to get in touch with a local association of camel breeders and keepers. They will probably also tell you that both species are social animals and thus a solitary husbandry might not be optimal.
Both can be kept well if their requirements are met. Bactrian camels are more tolerant of colder climates than dromedaries.
As for defensive behaviour: both can bite and kick you better than many horses or cows (based on personal experience). And they spit, too. Before obtaining them, you should also make sure to have a veterinarian at hand who is able and willing to treat camels.
 
A young camel would be easier to train than an older (untrained) camel; but be wary of acquiring one too young if your intention is to keep it on it’s own, as it’s important for them to learn social skills from their own species. Hand raised camels (especially males) can often develop several behaviour issues, which could make husbandry more challenging.

If your intention is to have the camel in free contact, your suggestion of a gelding would be advisable over an intact male for obvious reasons. :)

There’s some really great advice in these FAQs:

Camels for Sale - Learn about camels and become a camel owner
 
I've been doing research on camel size for a future Camelid size chart. When sources say that Bactrians can get up to 7.5 ft shoulder height, are they referencing where the hump starts on the back (withers) right? Does anyone know of any particular Bactrians at any facilities with huge proportions like this? Would love to see one in person this big. In 2018 at the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival there was a Dromedary easily the size of Aepycamelus giraffinus! Maybe it has some holdover Syrian Camel genes?

 
Definitely look for a hand-raised one, as they can become difficult as adults - most drive through safaris that have been open more than a few years don't keep them out with the rest of the hoofstock, for good reason. I have a friend who does ren faires, especially the one in north carolina, and there's usually a few there. Maybe start with looking at places like that, since friendliness would be important? You'll also likely have to decide which is more important to you, size or temperament. People breeding for size (or specific uncommon colors) in domestic animals are usually willing to overlook bad temperaments to achieve their goals, though they'll say otherwise.
 
Chlidonias said:
I've seen some monstrous camels in northwest India. No photos though. Regular camels look huge compared to horses, and some of the camels I'd see would dwarf those camels.
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As in Gujarat, India? Just super tall or overall built massively? I've seen photos of really tall Dromedaries from India. I wonder if Bactrians back in the day were taller. In camel ceramics from Ancient Chinese tomb art (which always look awesome) the camels are sculpted with Dromedary proportions unless they were riding wild Bactrians back then.
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My family is from India, so when I went to visit 4 or 5-ish years ago, I rode a camel in Vizag (Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh) I saw a big dromedary on the beach (he even peed) Camels are very large, once a man in India got his head bitten off by a camel, so caution is advised, though this was a very strange occurrence.
 
Bengal Tiger said:
My family is from India
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That's awesome! I'd love to go to India someday and see the Indian Rhinos, Asian Elephants, Barasinghas, Sambars and the birds such as Sarus Cranes, Bengal Floricans, Adjutant and other storks. Seeing the Taj Mahal would be amazing as well! Definitely on my list of places to visit once Covid goes away along with Indonesia!
 
Sarus Crane said:
That's awesome! I'd love to go to India someday and see the Indian Rhinos, Asian Elephants, Barasinghas, Sambars and the birds such as Sarus Cranes, Bengal Floricans, Adjutant and other storks. Seeing the Taj Mahal would be amazing as well! Definitely on my list of places to visit once Covid goes away along with Indonesia!
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I have actually never had a chance to visit any zoos or nature reserves in India, though I have had the privilege of going to a beautiful lake and seeing some nice birds. I have also seen fruit bats there! Sadly, I am a South Indian so many of the species you mentioned are not found in my region, either due to extirpation or the fact that they are just not native to the area. I do hope to do a bit more wildlife related stuff next time I go. Lord knows when that will be, though.
 
Bengal Tiger said:
I have actually never had a chance to visit any zoos or nature reserves in India, though I have had the privilege of going to a beautiful lake and seeing some nice birds. I have also seen fruit bats there! Sadly, I am a South Indian so many of the species you mentioned are not found in my region, either due to extirpation or the fact that they are just not native to the area. I do hope to do a bit more wildlife related stuff next time I go. Lord knows when that will be, though.
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The Western Ghats are cool. They have a ton of wildlife especially Gaurs, Lion-Tailed Macaques, and hornbills!
 
This looks like a big Bactrian. His name is Nasan and he lives at the Red River Zoo. Or the female keeper is tall and the man is short?
 
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@Bengal Tiger thats really cool, my family is from India as well. I actually got to visit the Vandalore Zoo in Chennai a couple years ago, and they had several tigers (both normal and white) and lions. It would be really cool if they are pure Bengal tigers and Asiatic lions, does anyone know if they are?
 
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