own camel caravan
 

Hi!

I've got an unusual problem.

I will be dealing with camels soon and i will be on my own. I will have some time to figure it all out when I get there, but I would like to expand my knowledge about it before I go.

Is there anybody who knows anything or could recomend me some books about this topic? Breeding, habits, diseases....etc... Something like a horseriding for dummies, but concerning camels, and not so simple but a little bit more advanced.

Paul

I'll mention Benedict Allen
Benedict Allen Explorer Author Filmmaker Public Speakers

I've seen the video of his Mongolian journey. He gets tuition from a Mongolian expert on travelling with a team of camels and sets off on his own for a journey around the Gobi for a few months.
Fascinating stuff. And the end of the journey seemed to be the hardest time - handing back the herd that he had travelled with all that time was a seriously emotional event.
He did the same around the Skeleton Coast immediately before the Gobi adventure but I haven't seen that.
His books may be more instructional, probably worth a look.

I'd also recommend going to one of his talks if there are any - he seems quite happy to chat to people in the audience at the end.

A good place to find that knowledge
 

and get 'hands on' experience would be to consider flying to Morocco and hiring someone able/willing to teach you- Best place to find them is at the camel markets strangely enough!
Or maybe find a Zoo which has some and 'pick' the keeper's brains?
A week in the sun in Erg Chebbi would be good right now!
Regards from a windy/chilly/dark Britain

If you are serious about what you're about to do, THE person to contact is Arita Baaijens (www.aritabaaijens.nl). While her interests are now mostly elsewhere, she is probably the single most experienced and knowledgable person (other than local caravan guides of course) in dealing with camels under the most demandng conditions.

Here is a camel journey across Australia
Tracks: Robyn Davidson: 9780679762874: Amazon.com: Books

The first thing you have to learn about camels is to ride slowly around them . Excess speed will only get you into trouble .
http://www.mediashow.ro/show/305608-...amel-crush.jpg

You can read the experiences of Christian Bodegren and Paula Constant on this forum and on the web
google
good luck!

ps http://www.constanttrek.com/

thx Guys!
P.

Useful Book
 

Paul,

A useful book for helping understand the problems that camels can get, is in "A Field Manual of Camel Diseases" by Ilse Kohler-Rollefson, Paul Mundy and Evelyn Mathias, Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd 2001 repub. 2006. (250pages paperback)

While I have travelled with camels their health and management has been the responsibility of my guide(s) -but this book still gave me useful insight into their well-being. Certainly I recognised some of the camels problems, from information in this book. I suggest that it may be even more useful for you, if you are going it alone, than it is for me.

merci Alistair! I found it on amazon!
P.