The Wonder of Camels

Courtesy of Andrew Reinsma:

 

This week’s post is a diverting aside into the wonder of camels and desert flora. When I wrote a post  ‘Master of the Desert – The Camel’ a while back, I didn’t know of the research station at Al Ain, a city in Abu Dhabi, a Camel Farm in the United Arab Emirates. The technical manager there and also a veterinary Professor is Dr Raziq Kakar, an international camel dairy specialist, who is from Pakistan. Before starting his work here, he travelled to forty-six countries and lived with nomads in mountains and desert sands for his research. Al Ain is home to United Nations Heritage and other archaeological sites from the Bronze and Neolithic ages. Today, it is a city with over half a million residents.

The pictures above are of the city of Al Ain.

His work on the great attributes of the desert flora, especially the plant Tribulus Terrestris and its connection to the medical properties of camel’s milk, is of great importance. Dr Raziq is devoted to the research of plants, earth, animals, and ecosystems.

This extraordinary plant Tribulus Terrestris grows in many countries worldwide. Because of the plant’s active substances that can be used for curing many disorders, interest in it is increasing, and it is currently one of the most studied medicinal plants. The main biologically active substances in TT are steroidal saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and lignan amides, the most studied being the steroidal saponins.

Dr Raziq describes Tribulus as the beauty of the desert whose presence or absence decides the health of the desert fertility. He compares Tribulus to the sun, as its yellow flowers absorb energy from the sun and moisture from the sand and dew. He rightly describes the plant as beautiful and special, as it is resilient to the hardship of the weather changes of the desert.

On his website, Dr Raziq classifies the use of Tribulus; in his words: the plant has medicinal value, directly when used as a herb, and indirectly through camel urine and milk. It is a perennial plant that sprouts in spring. Tribulus is very much liked by camels.

Dr Raziq writes that the camel is a unique gift of nature. And this is an indisputable truth. Camels are extraordinary animals, seemingly created by the desert, and therefore equipped in every way to withstand the harshness of the journeys. Interestingly, when the camel moves, it uses both legs on one side, and in the next movement both legs on the other side. This gives the rider the sensation of being on a ship, and that is why the camel is known as The Ship of the Desert. Without camels, there would be no trade that flourished across the countries bordering the African deserts and Arabic countries. The substantial wealth of various countries, like Mali, Ghana, or Chad to Syria, Iran, Iraq, and beyond, came from transporting salt, called ‘white gold’, textiles, gold, and many other goods. Without camels, this would not have been possible. And yet, they were originally native to the Arabian Peninsula and introduced to Africa around the ninth century BC.

The camel is an example of the perfection of nature’s design. Tall, 7-feet high with the hump, with long legs, he can easily carry a heavy load. The characteristic hump on his back contains fat which is indispensable as a source of energy when there is no food around. As he can drink in one go 40 gallons of water, he can travel a long distance without drinking or eating. The eyes have three eyelids and two rows of eyelashes to prevent sand, even in a sandstorm, entering his eyes. For the same reason, his ears are furry and his nostrils close between two breaths. His even-toed feet don’t sink into the sand because on touching the ground the two toes spread wide, thus allowing the camel to walk unperturbed. Normally docile, when provoked they use their big-lipped snout to spit green gunk from their stomach, and they kick expertly with all four legs. Camel milk is very healthy as it contains less fat than cow’s milk and is rich in iron, vitamins, and minerals. It is now becoming the drink of choice for many people.

Recently, scientists found that camel blood has unusual diminutive antibodies that may be used in fighting cancer. Called nanobodies, their binding can fit into crevices on molecules and remain functional within cells. These are still early stages of the research but nevertheless promising.

There are two types of camel: the one-humped, smooth-haired dromedary of the desert and two-humped, shaggy coated Bactrian living in Asia. Dr Raziq works with dromedary camels on the farm he manages in the United Arab Emirates.

And here is a picture of a Mongolian Bactrian camel:

Camel milk has been used for the cure of complex ailments over long periods of history. Now, different scientific studies are being conducted and many are underway to explore the magic powers of camel milk and to find the molecules in camel milk that are materialising the healing of different diseases.

Christina Adams writes that camel milk has been used for centuries as a healing substance and highly nutritious food. She suggests that camel milk may be beneficial in treating conditions associated with inflammation, which may include:

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

attention deficit disorder (ADD)

hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis

gastrointestinal problems: irritable bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea

food allergy, intolerance, and sensitivity

sugar sensitivity

diabetes

kidney damage

rheumatoid arthritis

liver damage

Machado-Joseph disease

sensory dysfunction

chemotherapy-induced fatigue, anemia, mouth sores and other side effects

and many others.

Christina Adams won the Nautilus Award.

Dr Tahereh Mohammadabadi, Associate Professor, Khuzestan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Iran, writes:

“The fatty acids in camel milk are also better for human hearts as they contain more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids than cow milk. Low in allergenic proteins, camel milk is also the best alternative to human milk and for children with severe food allergies or eczema.”

Dr Raziq agrees: “Having been in the camel’s world of research and development, I have been advocating the camel as the animal of choice in the challenging environments as a model animal. The camel (Arabian and Bactrian) milk is also rich with super and unique nutrients, some act as anti-infectious and immune boosters. Camel milk makes the immune system stronger as it contains a series of protective proteins such as lysozyme, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin. I hereby suggest clinical trials for the camel milk as an agent of antibodies against the viral infections in particular with the COVID-19. Camel milk has already been studied as support in diabetes management.”

As an ethnoecologist and desert explorer, Dr Raziq advocates closer links with nature whenever we are. During his daily walks, he notices: “The desert is not only beautiful but a place where you can enjoy the vast horizons and the fragrance of the deserts’ flora. The desert after the rains converts into echoing green sand, rich with a diversity of flora and fauna. The whole picture makes the scene very attractive, which works as an ECOTHERAPY.  I’m sure, daily walks will work as a healing agent for your health and thoughts.”

Dr Raziq works on many projects that could improve the lives of people globally, as he would like to turn parts of the desert into agriculturally productive fields. His work also includes ideas of using camel waste as a fertiliser. It might not be long before he includes research on turning camel waste into renewable gas. Camel waste could be sealed into tanks without oxygen, where it is broken down by naturally occurring micro-organisms into biogas, before being used to help heat homes and cook meals. Farmers are increasingly rushing to exploit the cattle’s waste product to provide green energy. Scientists believe that alongside hydrogen, biomethane could be playing a critical role in achieving net-zero carbon emissions.  Such an innovative project would be a step towards supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy and paving the way for similar projects in the future.

Dedicating his life to study the many extraordinary properties of camel milk, Dr Raziq work is paying dividends, as there are now quite a few camel farms in Europe and in other parts of the world. For those who would like to know what camel milk tastes like – it tastes just like milk because it is milk.

Below are images of the Bedouin tribe:

There are also other known benefits of drinking camel milk – the Bedouin tribes in Africa are well known to be slim, no one is ever obese; they drink camel milk as they are camel herders. As we are forever dieting here, perhaps, camel milk could provide a solution.

Dr Raziq wrote also very eloquently about the 70 good things trees provide:
shade
cooling of air
fruits
other food
animal food
nesting opportunities for birds
habitat of insects, rodents, birds and many other animals
wind/storm control
beauty
landmark on the earth
natural mapping
strengthening and conservation of soil
trapping and fixing carbon from the air
provision of oxygen
fragrance of flowers
fragrance of fruit
a subject of fairytales
historical background, many trees have a history
involved in the water cycle
deflect harsh sunshine
protect coasts and provide habitat in mangroves
use for furniture
handicrafts made from different parts of the tree
tyres made from sap of rubber trees
and many more…..

But we should also ask what can we do for the trees. The exchange should always be mutual. Christina Adams writes in her book about the only tree, an acacia, in the compound of The Camel Farm:

“The sound of past centuries grow fainter as I look back at the old souk tree. She’s endured the indignities of a thousand years, ….. she’s been torn by wind, bumped by trucks, deprived of even drink, But she lives on with no visible help, surviving in her silence.”

Perhaps a gift of water, just a few buckets daily, could be possible?  It would certainly prolong this tree’s life and make it happy.

Empathy with nature and all that we call by this name are important, because:

.                      HUMANS NEED NATURE TO SURVIVE