Probably each of us has asked ourselves this question at least once, and in our search for an answer we have come across many conflicting versions. Some argue that saliva accumulates in a camel’s hump, others talk about huge reserves of water, because how else can one explain their ability to survive in the hot desert? Unfortunately for many, both versions are incorrect. But if so, then what do camels hide in the most prominent part of their body?

Why does a camel need a hump and what is inside?

In fact fat accumulates in a camel's hump, the same fat that I, and you, and many other people and animals have. Typically, mammals store fat in their muscles or under their skin, but camels are special animals and store fat in their hump, which fuels them during long treks through the desert. A camel's hump can weigh up to 35 kg, making them quite capable of going without food for up to 2 weeks. If a camel spends a long time without food, the hump begins to significantly decrease in size and fall to one side. To put it in order, the camel needs rest and increased nutrition for several days.
Despite all of the above, the fat in the hump of a camel serves only as a food substitute and is not capable of releasing water.

Where do camels get water and where do they store it?

If the camel's hump plays virtually no role in the conservation and production of water, a completely logical question arises: “where do camels get water from and where do they store it?” This question can be answered very easily - camels simply drink and drink a lot; an animal can drink up to 75 liters of water at a time. Despite this, camels drink only to quench their thirst and restore normal water levels in the body, while they are unable to store water for the future.

How do camels survive without water?

The secret of camels lies in their unique body.
Firstly, camels are able to minimize the loss of moisture from the body; they defecate extremely rarely, while their excrement is very dry, and their urine is highly concentrated. Moreover, the breathing of camels is structured in such a way that moisture does not leave the body with exhaled air, but condenses on the walls of the nasal concha and flows back. An equally important feature of the body of these mammals is the ability to tolerate large changes in body temperature. During the day, a camel's body temperature can vary from 32.2 °C to 40.6 °C, and only when it reaches the highest tolerable temperature does the camel begin to sweat. For comparison, the normal human body temperature is 36.6 °C and an increase of just 1 °C can already mean that you are sick.
Secondly, camels are very resistant to dehydration: they can normally tolerate a loss of 30-40% of body water. For comparison, a loss of 20% of water is fatal for a person, while a loss of 10% causes painful disorders.

Why does a camel have a hump on its back?

After reading this article, few people will have this question, because we already understand that the hump serves as a source of food for camels. But if you think about it, many animals have fat, distributed throughout the body, and only camels store it in their hump. Why? As you know, nature never does anything for nothing, and the camel’s hump actually has a few more useful properties. Since the sun predominantly shines from above, the camel's hump serves as a shield, protecting the animal from solar radiation. In addition, since fat betrays heat much worse than water, the hump prevents the body from heating up in direct sunlight. The blood is also protected from heat: due to the fact that fat cells do not need oxygen, the blood vessels pass below the hump, in an area of ​​​​relative coolness. Among other things, some species of camels have thicker hair on their backs, while the hair on all other parts of the body is much thinner. This body structure helps repel heat from direct sunlight above and cool the camel from below.

In areas where Bactrians are bred, they are of economic importance as pack and draft animals, as well as a source of milk, meat and leather. In nomadic or semi-nomadic farming, camels are kept all year round on free grazing, when sedentary in places with harsh winters - without a leash in barns with a walking yard, in the southern regions - often under sheds. The camel shed must be dry, with regularly changing bedding (from the remains of hay, weeds, reeds). In winter in case severe frost camels are sometimes covered with felt blankets.

The working Bactrian is valued primarily for such qualities as endurance and resistance to extreme conditions. During long journeys, he travels 30-40 km a day and carries packs of 250-300 kg, that is, almost half of his own weight. Under a rider, a camel can travel over 100 km a day, reaching speeds of up to 10-12 km/h. A camel under a pack walks at a speed of approximately 5 km/h, that is, noticeably slower than the average horse, but in terms of endurance and undemandingness it far surpasses any horse or donkey. N. M. Przhevalsky noted that where a camel finds enough food for itself and does not experience hunger, horses would die from lack of food. The same applies to Bactrian’s resistance to low temperatures. It is significant that Bactrian camels were used in the past even in the extremely harsh and cold conditions of Yakutia for winter transportation of goods in the mines. A camel is much more often used as a pack animal rather than a draft animal, although when harnessed to a cart, it can carry a load 3-4 times its own weight. The fact is that on a bad or damp road, Bactrian can quickly knock down and damage plantar calluses. According to eyewitnesses, on a wet road he, moreover, unlike a horse, slips a lot.

Controlling a camel, according to some authors, is much more difficult than controlling a horse, since the Bactrian is stubborn and can balk for no apparent reason. The Bactrian is also very fastidious in keeping and requires, on average, more attentive and thorough care than a horse. Camels are harnessed for permanent work when they reach at least 4 years of age.

The presence of two humps greatly facilitates loading the Bactrian, as well as riding a horse - a person is easily held between the humps. For this reason, a saddle is not necessary for riding a Bactrian camel, but the “correct” bridling of a Bactrian also includes the presence of a saddle. Peoples who use the Bactrian camel have different types saddles, among which there are richly decorated and beautiful ones. Loading a Bactrian requires a certain skill, because a poorly fitted pack, when worn for a long time, can damage the humps and back so much that the camel becomes unsuitable for further use.

Breeding areas for domestic camels

The domestic Bactrian camel is native to the regions of Central Asia. It is one of the main domestic animals in Mongolia and neighboring areas of China (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia, Gansu Province). There are many Bactrians in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries of Central Asia, and in a number of places the Bactrian camel overlaps with the domestic dromedary.

The largest number of domestic camels is in China - it is estimated that in this country, as well as in Mongolia, a total of about 2 million domestic animals are kept. From time immemorial, the Bactrian camel had a special meaning for the Mongols, where it was traditionally ranked as one of the “five heads” - animals on whose breeding the traditional nomadic way of life rests (along with the horse, yak, sheep and goat). Even today, despite technological advances, Bactrian camels account for about a third of all freight transport in the Gobi Desert. As of 2008, there were about 266.4 thousand domestic camels in Mongolia; this number, however, is constantly decreasing due to the increase in the number of cars (in 1954 there were 895.3 thousand, in 1985 - 559 thousand).

In the Soviet Union, breeding of Bactrian camels (like camel breeding in general) was a fairly developed branch of animal husbandry, practiced mainly in the Kazakh and Kyrgyz SSR and the steppe regions of the RSFSR - the Kalmyk ASSR, the Tuva Autonomous Okrug, the Astrakhan, Volgograd, and Chita regions. At the end of the 1960s, Bactrian camels accounted for 44% of the total population of domestic camels in the USSR, numbering 264 thousand heads (one-humped 34% and bunk hybrids - 22%). Currently in Russia, camel breeding is of greatest importance in Buryatia, where it is practiced north to 55° N. w. - the animals bred there are the most northern representatives of the family.

In the USSR, mainly three breeds of Bactrians were bred - Kalmyk, Kazakh and Mongolian, among which the Kalmyk was considered especially noteworthy. Camels of this breed are significantly superior to animals of other breeds in size, live weight, wool and milk production. The history of the Kalmyk breed goes back to the first quarter of the 17th century, when Kalmyk tribes wandered from Dzungaria to the lower reaches of the Volga and stole cattle and camels with them. Nomadic farming with year-round grazing and heavy climatic conditions(frequent snowstorms and ice) often led to mass death camels. Only the strongest, hardiest and healthiest individuals survived. As a result of natural selection, Kalmyk camels acquired properties and characteristics that distinguished them favorably from other domestic breeds. However, Kalmyk camels are relatively rare - about 90% of the domestic camel population in post-Soviet space is a Kazakh breed. In the Russian Transbaikalia, a variety of the Mongolian breed is found mainly.

In modern Kazakhstan there are about 200 thousand Bactrian camels. The production of camel milk and fermented milk drinks from it is considered by the country's authorities as a very promising area of ​​livestock farming and is supported by special government programs.

In addition to countries with traditional breeding of Bactrians, domestic Bactrian camels can also be found in New Zealand and a number of areas of the USA, where domestic camels have been kept in places for a long time - for example, in 1860, 15 Bactrian camels were brought to the USA for use in transporting salt in desert areas. There are Bactrians in Iran and Pakistan.

Types and breeds of camels

The camel genus (Camelus) is divided into two independent species: Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) and one-humped camels (Camelus dromedaries).

Bactrians

The specific features of the Bactrian, in addition to two humps, are a long, massive body with relatively short legs and good hair growth, consisting of fine down and awns. It is the good hair growth that allows the Bactrian to exist in areas with harsh winters without suffering from the cold.

The facial part of Bactrian is wide in the eye sockets, with relatively short facial bones. The neck is shorter than that of the dromedary, but more arched. Along the upper edge the mane reaches 40-60 cm in males, along the entire lower edge there is a beard, and on the forearms there is a “breeches”. The distance between the bases of the front and rear humps is 20-40 cm. This gap is not filled with fat, even in well-fed camels. The base of the posterior hump ends at the line of the ilium. The shoulders and sacrum are poorly developed.

Bactrians often have such exterior defects in the positioning of the limbs as markings, sunken wrists, closeness of the hock joints, and sabering of the hind limbs. These animals are less adapted to pack caravan service than dromedaries.

Kazakh Bactrians

Kazakh Bactrians They live in the Caspian lowland, the Aral Karakum desert, Muyunkum, along the right and left banks of the Syr Darya river. The best camels of this breed are bred in the Ural region. The Kazakh Bactrian is a compact, proportionally built animal, with an elongated body and well-developed muscles of the anterior girdle. Animals are low-legged, with relatively deeper chests.

Milk productivity for the first seven months of lactation is 1200 l, fat content - 6.12%, protein - 3.82, milk sugar - 4.98 and ash - 0.95.

The wool clipping from breeding males is 10.5-11.5 kg, from queens - 5.4 - 5.7 kg, and for some males the clipping reaches 20-21 kg. From young animals 1-2 years old they get 3 - 4.5 kg. The yield of washed wool is 80-90%.

Kalmyk Bactrians

Kalmyk Bactrians- the most valuable of the Bactrian breeds. This is the smallest breed, distinguished by its size, body weight, tall and bony. For example, the champion in live weight camel Beke-Har - exhibit BCXB in 1939 had a mass of 1247 kg.

Camels of the Kalmyk breed were brought to Russia at the beginning of the 17th century, during the period of resettlement of Kalmyks from Dzungaria to the regions of the right bank of the Volga, on the territory of modern Kalmykia and Astrakhan region. This zone includes year-round pastures of the so-called Black Lands with their relatively mild climate and abundant vegetation, which have a beneficial effect not only on breeding, but also on the improvement of animals of these breeds.

According to available information, in 1803 there were more than 60 thousand Kalmyk Bactrians in Russia. In 1928 there were 5.5 thousand, in 1941 - 4.5 thousand heads. Currently, 685 Kalmyk camels are registered in the republic. The main population of camels, in the amount of 365 heads, is located in the camel breeding plant SPK Polynyny, 116 heads in JSC Kirovsky, 84 heads in SPK Erdnievsky and about 50 heads in SPK Kharba. Not a large number of There are camels in the Lagansky, Ketchenerovsky and Iki-Burulsky districts.

Kalmyk camels are widespread in the Astrakhan region and Kazakhstan. According to scientists from the Kalmyk Research Institute of Agriculture, there are more than 5.5 thousand animals there. The most valuable livestock of Kalmyk camels is concentrated in the Aksaraysky state breeding plant in the Astrakhan region, the Suyunduksky state breeding plant, and the breeding state farm named after. Kurman Gazy, at the Balkundinsky breeding farm in the Guryev region, at the Urdinsky breeding state farm and named after. Temira Masin, Ural region of Kazakhstan. Breeding animals bred in the Astrakhan region and Kazakhstan are larger than their Kalmyk relatives. Therefore, it is desirable to purchase breeding males and further breeding use of them in order to increase the live weight and wool clippings of Bactrians bred in Kalmykia.

The Kalmyk Bactrian is the most massive, powerful and large camel among the breeds of Bactrian camels bred all over the world. The height (height) of this animal is 180 cm, body length is 160 cm, chest girth is 229 cm and pastern is 20 cm. The average living weight of camels is 650-700 kg. In 1939, phenomenal Bactrians from the Chernozemelsky ulus of the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic were exhibited at an agricultural exhibition in Moscow, including Beke-Khar II, who weighed 1247 kg at the age of 9 years, and Tolga I, who weighed 1180 kg at the same age. The camel Oner-Shargi weighed 985 kg. As a rule, Kalmyk Bactrians are calm, good-natured and obey people well. In the process of phylogenetic development of the breed, three types were formed - characteristic, massive and lightweight. The color of Bactrians in most cases is represented by various options: brown - 51.1%; dark brown – 11.4%; light brown – 9.3%; light yellow - 15.7% and rarely white - 14.5%. White markings on brown camels occur in the form of blazes and bald spots. Regardless of color, the color of coarse fur: beards, bangs, manes, the edges of humps and riding breeches is somewhat darker than the color of the fur over the entire surface of the animal’s body.

The head is small, dry, wide in the forehead, with a pointed muzzle. The neck is set large and beautifully curved. The sacrum is wide, somewhat drooping. Live weight, depending on the intrabreed type, ranges from 560 to 718 kg.

The animals feed well, the average daily gain in the spring-summer period reaches 1145 g.

The live weight of a newborn camel is 51 kg, which is 7% of the mother’s live weight.

The musculature of camels is well developed, the humps are large in height and length. The constitution is emphatically dense and dry, in some animals with a slight bias towards tenderness. Among animals of this breed, white individuals are more common.

When moving, they surpass other breeds in speed, and in terms of carrying capacity they are not inferior to heavy-duty horses. They are characterized by a clear and correct step and amble.

Kalmyk Bactrians also have good wool productivity and produce high quality wool. From the famous breed champion at BCXB in 1939, Tolga, 21 kg of excellent quality wool were obtained annually. The amount of coarse fibers in the fleece increases with age: in camels they make up from 9 to 16% of the weight of the fleece, in adults - 28-47%. The largest amount of soft wool is in the fleece of young animals at the age of one year. There are more downy fibers in the fleece of queens than in breeders.

The average milk yield of camels of the Kalmyk breed for 18 months of lactation is 1200 l (with fluctuations from 769 to 1717 l) with a milk fat content of 6.9%. IN autumn period milk contains more fat than summer milk.

Mongolian Bactrians

Mongolian Bactrians- the smallest of the Bactrians, but at the same time they have a well-defined broad-bodied type. They were brought to Kazakhstan in 1936 from Mongolia. Some of the animals that came to the south of the republic for breeding were better conditions cultivation has noticeably changed its appearance. Already the first generation of Mongolian camels was significantly larger than their parents. The Shaulder camel breeding plant, where they were bred, provided the best opportunities for raising camels. In particular, the queens were not used for work or milked, and their milk was used to feed suckling young animals. And the vegetation of the pastures in the south of the republic was much more diverse and richer than the deserts of Mongolia. This once again proves that by changing the conditions of detention for the better, you can change the type of animals.

Animals of this breed are distinguished by a thick coat with a significant fluff content. The wool clipping for males is 8.1 kg, for females - 5.2 kg.

Over 17 months of lactation, camels produce 319 liters of milk with a fat content of 5.65%.

Males are somewhat superior to females in terms of measurements and hair clipping.

Dromedaries

Dromedaries live in more southern and warmer regions, as they do not tolerate cold winters well. They are bred in the south of Kazakhstan, as well as in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and other countries.

The specific characteristic of the dromedary is the presence of one compact hump, a short body on long legs, and, compared to Bactrians, a weaker coat development. They have light bones and thinner skin.

Dromedaries are faster maturing animals; the pregnancy of the queens is three weeks shorter than that of Bactrians.

The head of a dromedary has elongated facial bones, a convex forehead, a hook-nosed profile, lips that are thin and mobile, and do not compress like those of horses and cattle. The lower lip is often drooping, the cheeks are greatly enlarged and a large amount of food is placed between them and the molars. The soft palate can protrude from the mouth and hang down by 30-40 cm. This is observed in males during the period of sexual arousal.

The dromedary's neck has well-developed muscles, is long, and mobile. Their bangs and mane are not developed, the beard grows only in the upper part of the neck, there is no “breeches”, but in the area of ​​the shoulder blade there are “epaulets”, consisting of long crimped hair, absent in Bactrian.

Turkmen Arvana

We breed one breed of dromedaries - the Turkmen Arvana. These are large, well-built animals with a deep and wide chest, strong bones and well-developed muscles.

Arvana camels are early maturing animals: sexual maturity occurs by the age of two, females are allowed into mating from the age of three with a weight of 350-400 kg. Males are used for mating from 4-5 to 15-16 years of age. Reproduction of dromedaries and arvana is limited by the season of the year - from January to April. The average fruiting period is 385 days; a camel gives birth every year. In Turkmenistan, compact mating of camels is practiced, which makes it possible to produce two camels in three years.

The weight of camel calves at birth is 38-40 kg. Intensive weight gain in camel calves persists during the first year of life; the average daily gain is 950-1,030 g. Weaning occurs at one year of age.

In terms of milk productivity, Arvana dromedaries are close to factory breed cows. The duration of the lactation period is 15-18 months, V.M. Popova (1948) for a group of queens of the camel breeding plant “Sakar-Chaga” for 13 months of lactation determined the average milk production equal to 4387 kg, in the first foals - 3117 kg of milk. The average daily milk yield of individual animals is 15 kg, the record average daily milk yield is 19 kg, S. M. Terentyev (1975) notes that in addition to the suckling of camel calves, in 12 months of lactation each camel can produce 1718 kg of marketable milk with a fat content of 4.13, depending Camels are milked manually for milk production 2-6 times a day. Machine milking is also practiced.

The qualitative composition of dromedary milk, according to P.V. Kugenev (1982), has the following ratios (%): dry matter 13.6, total protein 3.5, milk sugar 4.9, ash 0.7. The acidity of freshly milked milk is 20-25°T. The increased bactericidal properties of camel milk slow down the increase in acidity and allow it to be stored (at 30°C) for up to 24 hours and transported fresh. High nutritional, dietary and medicinal properties Camel milk and its processed products have long been known to the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Arvan dromedaries fatten well on pastures and, when slaughtered, produce good and tasty meat, a slaughter yield for animals of average fatness. at the age of 2-3 years is 54.2%.

The average wool clip is 3.23 kg for males and 2.10 kg for females. The fleece wool of adult Arvana is 91.2% sheared, the fiber yield is 78.6%. The fineness of the wool is 12-27 microns, the length of the fibers is 4-12 cm. Dromedar wool has valuable technological properties: low thermal conductivity, softness, and strength. Various technical and warm fabrics are made from it. The local population uses camel wool to produce natural yarn and knitwear.

The main method of breeding the Arvana breed is purebred breeding, which involves improving the breed and productive qualities of animals through targeted selection. IN last years work to improve the breeding and productive qualities of Arvan dromedaries is carried out on the basis of a selection and breeding plan developed by the Turkmen Institute of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine. Animals with a strong constitution, large weight, high productivity indicators and known linear origin are selected for the core of the reproductive composition in breeding farms. When selecting animals, much attention is paid to the adaptive qualities of arvaia - the ability to maintain good fatness and productivity in extreme conditions of year-round grazing.

The selection and breeding program for the Arvana breed is being developed taking into account the existing breed types. In each type, new lines, families and their crosses are created based on outstanding animals. These breeding methods make it possible to maintain the genetic diversity of the breed, independent breeding of individual breed types within the breed, and improvement of the breed and productive qualities of the entire Arvana dromedary population.

Arvana has good working qualities when used under a pack. The average weight of a pack for transportation over a distance of 30-35 km is 240-260 kg, and for long journeys 180-200 kg.

Arvan queens have high milk production. During the first 12 months of lactation, they produce an average of 2000 liters, and from the best up to 3000 liters or more, with a fat content of 4.3%.

The wool productivity of dromedaries is significantly lower. Adult male camels are sheared about 4 kg (from the best - up to 5.5), from queens - 2 kg (from the best - up to 3.5), from young animals 1-2 years old - 1.5-2 kg.

The color of dromedaries is from light to dark brown.

A majestic ship “sails” among the sandy “mountains” of the desert... Who do you think we are talking about? Well, of course, about the camel. This animal has long been called exactly that – “ship of the desert.” And there is no longer an animal in the world that can endure the scorching sun, while carrying a heavy load. The two-humped and one-humped camels are truly unique animals of their kind.

Appearance of a camel

Currently, there are two species of these animals preserved on our planet: camels with one hump (dromedaries) and two-humped camels (Bactrians). Externally, they differ not only in the number of humps.

Dromedaries have a slimmer build. They have long legs, thanks to which they are able to run very fast. The height of the average dromedary camel reaches 2.5 meters, and its weight ranges from 300 to 700 kilograms. The coat color of dromedaries is predominantly ash-yellow.

Distinctive features Bactrians are considered, in addition to the presence of two humps: thick wool, higher height (up to 2.7 meters) and weight (up to 800 kilograms), as well as a color that has a gray-yellow tint.

What are camel humps? Contrary to popular belief that the animal has a large supply of water in its hump, it is worth saying that this part of the camel’s body consists of 100% adipose tissue. AND appearance humps directly speaks about the physical condition of the animal. If the camel is in in great shape If the animal is well-fed and healthy, then its humps stick up; when the animal is exhausted or sick, then the hump may sag or disappear completely.

Where do dromedaries and bactrians live?

The habitat of dromedary camels is considered mainly to be Africa. But they can also be found in central Asia. More than 100 years ago, dromedaries were even brought to the Australian continent.

Bactrians are inhabitants of the Asian part of the Eurasian continent. They live in Mongolia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kalmykia.

It is worth noting that camels are becoming less and less common in the wild, as they are being massively domesticated by humans (this is especially true for Bactrians).

Camel behavior and lifestyle

Deserts and semi-deserts with their low trees and thorny bushes are ideal for living and habitat of camels. Camels are sedentary animals, although they are characterized by long journeys within their territories. During the daytime, they prefer to lie down, chewing gum, and when night comes, they go to bed.

Listen to the voice of a dromedary camel

Camels are very good swimmers, despite their height and weight.

A feature of Bactrians is their frost resistance. Thanks to their thick wool, they tolerate low temperatures (down to minus 40 degrees), but heat and drought are very destructive for them. The same cannot be said about dromedaries: they prefer hot sun rather than cold.

What do two-humped and one-humped camels eat?

Camels are ruminant herbivores. They are unpretentious in food and can feed on the most meager plants, such as bitter herbs, thorny branches, etc. Thanks to its fat reserves in the hump, the animal can do without food for about a month!

Camel breeding

The mating season for these animals begins at winter months(December – February).

Bearing offspring lasts a year, and sometimes several months more. After birth, baby camels feed on their mother's milk. A few hours after birth, the cubs are already standing on their feet and following their mother. Full maturity of the offspring occurs in the fifth year of life. The lifespan of these animals is about 40 – 50 years

Natural enemies of the camel

Usually, none of the animals attacks adults. But the same cannot be said about little camels: they are a favorite object

The largest representative of the callosopod suborder.

Taxonomy

Russian name - Bactrian camel
Latin name- Camelus bactrianus
English name- Domestic bactrian camel
Order - artiodactyla (Artiodactyla)
Suborder - callosopods (Tylopoda)
Family - camelids (Camelidae)
Genus - camels (Camelus)

There are wild and domestic Bactrian camels. The wild camel in Mongolia, its homeland, is called haptagai, in contrast to the domestic one - bactrian (the word comes from the name of the ancient region in Central Asia, Bactria).

Conservation status of the species

The domestic Bactrian camel is a common animal in Central Asia, Mongolia and China. In Russia, the largest number of camels are kept in Buryatia and Kalmykia. The world population exceeds 2 million animals.

The wild Bactrian camel is a very rare animal, listed in the IUCN Red List, in the CR category - a species in critical danger of extinction. The population of these animals numbers only a few hundred individuals. According to some reports, the wild camel is the eighth most endangered mammal in terms of threat.

Species and man

The domestic Bactrian camel has long been an important pet in many areas of Asia. First of all, it is a reliable vehicle in desert conditions. People use milk, meat, skin, and camel wool, from which they make a wide variety of knitted and felted products. Even the dung of this animal is very valuable: it serves as an excellent fuel.

The domestication of camels dates back to ancient times. The earliest archaeological information about the breeding of Bactrians dates back to the 7th–6th millennia BC. e. A number of sources indicate that domestic camels appeared about 4,500 years ago. The discovery of a vessel with dung from a Bactrian camel and the remains of the camel’s hair, made during excavations of ancient settlements in eastern Iran, dates back to 2500 BC. e. One of ancient images a domestic camel being led by the bridle by a man dates back to the 9th century BC. e. It is carved on the famous Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III and is now in the British Museum. Another image was discovered on the ruins of the Apadana Hall of the palace of the Persian kings in Persepolis, dating back to the 5th century. BC e.

The Bactrian camel has survived in the wild and was first described as a species in 1878 by the famous Russian explorer N. M. Przhevalsky in Mongolia. Currently, the population of the “savage” continues to decline, mainly due to poaching and competition with livestock.

The domestic camel is somewhat different from the wild one, which gives some scientists reason to distinguish them as separate species, or at least subspecies. The question of the direct origin of Bactrian from the modern wild camel also remains open.

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

The largest representative of the order Callopods

Distribution and habitats

The wild camel in the past apparently occurred over a vast area of ​​much of Central Asia. Now the range of khaptagai (as the locals call it) is small and is represented by four broken areas in Mongolia and China.

The domestic Bactrian camel is bred primarily in the steppe and semi-desert regions of eastern Central Asia, Mongolia and neighboring territories of Russia and China; The world population of Bactrians exceeds 2 million. Breeds of domestic camels have been bred: Kazakh, Kalmyk and Mongolian, which differ in size, quality of coat, shape and size of humps.
Concerning modern life wild Bactrian camels, they constantly migrate from one area to another, but mainly their habitats are rocky, desert plains and foothills with sparse and rough vegetation and rare sources of water. However, camels need water to survive; groups of camels in their habitats are strongly attached to reservoirs and springs. After the rains, groups of camels gather on the banks of rivers or at the foot of mountains, where temporary floods form. In winter, camels make do with snow to quench their thirst. Wild camels are also found in mountainous areas, and they move so well on steep slopes that they are not much inferior to mountain sheep.

In the hot season, haptagai rise quite high - it was noted that they are found at an altitude of 3300 m above sea level. In winter, animals migrate 300–600 km to the south and often stay in mountain valleys, which protect them from the wind, or along dry watercourses. If oases with poplar groves are not occupied by humans, the haptagai spend the winter, and especially autumn, near them. Wild camels are characterized by wide migrations during the day, even with an abundance of food, which is sometimes associated with watering places. Thus, observations have shown that camels can travel 80–90 km or even more per day.

Appearance and morphology

The appearance of the Bactrian camel is so unique and characteristic that it cannot be confused with any other animal. Bactrians are very large animals - the height at the withers often exceeds 2 meters and can reach 2.3 meters, the height of the body with humps is up to 2.7 m. An adult male camel weighs on average about 500 kg, but often much more - up to 800 and even 1000 kg. Females are smaller: 320–450 kg, in rare cases up to 800 kg.

A barrel-shaped body on long knobby legs, with the hind legs as if attached to the general contour of the body, a long curved neck, a rather large head with expressive eyes, pubescent double rows of eyelashes and, of course, humps - this is a camel. In a well-fed camel, the humps stand straight, and their shape is individual for each animal; in a thin camel, the humps completely or partially fall to one side, but rise again when the animal eats itself. The name of the suborder - callosalfoot - is due to the structure of the leg, ending in a forked foot resting on a callus pad, which in Bactrian is very wide, allowing the animal to walk on loose soil. On the front of the foot there is a kind of claw or small hoof. The tail is quite short, with a tuft of long hair at the end. The lips of camels are unusual - they are very mobile, at the same time fleshy, tough, adapted to tearing off the coarsest and thorniest vegetation. The upper lip of all camelids is forked. The ears are round and very small, almost indistinguishable from a great distance. On the back of the head there are paired glands, especially developed in the male, the black, viscous and odorous secretion of which is used for marking territory.

The color of the camel is brown-sand of various shades, from almost white to dark chestnut. The coat is very thick and long (about 7 cm on the body, and up to 30 cm or even more on the bottom of the neck and on the tops of the humps). The structure of the Bactrian's coat is similar to that of the inhabitants of the North - polar bear And reindeer: guard hairs are like tubes, hollow inside. Together with the thick undercoat, this contributes to the low thermal conductivity of the camel's coat. Moulting in camels is also unique - it begins with the onset of warm days and proceeds very quickly. The old fur falls out, coming off the body in large tufts, or even layers, and the new one does not have time to grow during this time, so at the end of May - June the camel in the zoo is practically “naked”. However, 2-3 weeks pass, and the handsome Bactrian is covered with smooth, thick, velvety hair, which will become especially long by winter.

Camels have several morphological and physiological characteristics allowing them to survive in extremely harsh conditions. The camel suffers dehydration that is fatal to all other animals. This animal can survive by losing up to 40% of water in its body (other animals die with a loss of 20% of water). A camel's kidneys can absorb much of the water from urine and return it to the body, so the urine produced is extremely concentrated. The erythrocytes (red blood cells) of camels are oval in shape (in all other mammals they are round), so the blood maintains normal fluidity even with severe thickening, since the narrow oval erythrocytes pass through the capillaries without obstruction. In addition, camel red blood cells have the ability to accumulate liquid, increasing in volume up to 2.5 times. Bactrian manure is much more concentrated than cattle manure - it contains 6–7 times less water and consists of a mixture of coarse, almost dry plant fibers (Bactrian manure is well formed in the form of oblong pellets measuring 4x2x2 cm). When severely dehydrated, a camel noticeably loses weight, but when given access to water, it restores its normal appearance literally before our eyes.

A number of features external structure It also allows you to maximize the savings of water reserves in the body. Water evaporation is minimized because the camel keeps its nostrils tightly closed, opening them only during inhalation and exhalation. The camel's ability to thermoregulate is also known. Unlike other mammals, a camel begins to sweat only if its body temperature reaches +41 °C, and its further increase becomes life-threatening. At night, a camel’s body temperature can drop to +34 °C.

The fat contained in the humps is not broken down into water, as was believed for a long time, but plays the role of a food reserve for the body. It also serves to insulate the camel's body, accumulating primarily on the back, which is most exposed to the sun's rays. If fat were evenly distributed throughout the body, it would prevent heat from leaving the body. Both humps can contain up to 150 kg of fat.

Lifestyle and social organization

The Bactrian camel is an animal that is active during daylight hours. At night he either sleeps or is inactive and busy chewing gum. During hurricanes, camels can lie motionless for several days. In inclement weather, they try to hide in bushes or ravines; in extreme heat, they willingly walk, fanning themselves with their tails, against the wind with their mouths open, lowering their body temperature.

As for social organization, the maintenance of domestic Bactrian camels is under the control of a person who comprehensively determines their life. If camels happen to go wild, they restore social structure, characteristic of its wild ancestor. Wild Bactrian camels live in small herds of 5–20 heads (sometimes up to 30), mainly consisting of females and young animals; the leader is the dominant male. Adult males are often found alone. A herd of camels can also include young, sexually mature males, but only outside the rutting period.

Nutrition and feeding behavior

The Bactrian camel is a herbivore and can feed on the roughest and least nutritious food. It is able to eat plants with such spines that no other animal is able to eat. The camel's diet is quite varied. Of course, they love cereals, they eat camel thorn with pleasure, but they also quite willingly eat shrub and semi-shrub saltworts, onions, barnyard grass, parsifolia with its juicy large leaves, they eat ephedra and young shoots of saxaul, and in the fall in the oases - poplar leaves and reeds. When camels are hungry, they can eat animal bones and skins, and even objects made from them. The Bactrian camel is able to withstand very long periods of fasting. It is so adapted to meager food that for the health of a domestic camel, constant underfeeding may be better than abundant nutrition.

Camels show equally high endurance in relation to water. For example, wild camels come to springs no more than once every few days. If they are disturbed there, they can go without water for two or even three weeks - especially in the summer, when there is a lot of moisture in the plants after the rains. The Bactrian camel is notable for its ability to drink without harm to health. brackish water desert reservoirs. This, however, apparently only applies to wild camels - domestic ones avoid drinking salt water. In general, the animal's need for salt is very high - for this reason, domestic camels need to ensure the constant availability of salt bars. Camels in general, and Bactrian camels in particular, are known for their ability to drink huge amounts of water at once. In case of severe dehydration, Bactrian can drink up to 100 liters at a time.

If there is a good food supply, both wild and domestic camels become very fat by autumn. But camels suffer more than, for example, horses in winter from deep snow and especially ice, since due to the lack of real hooves, they cannot, like horses, dig out the snow and feed on the vegetation underneath it.

Vocalization

Camels are not particularly talkative creatures. However, during the rut, males are characterized by a loud roar, which is heard very often. Excited animals make sounds similar to muttering and loud whistles. Cubs calling their mothers roar in higher voices; mothers respond with the same sounds, but lower in frequency.

Reproduction and raising offspring

Female camels become adults at the age of 2–3 years, males somewhat later, sometimes at 5–6 years. The rut of Bactrian camels occurs in the fall. At this time, males behave very aggressively. They attack other males and even try to mate with them, constantly roar loudly, run and rush about; foam comes out of their mouth. Animals make sounds similar to muttering and a sharp, drawn-out whistle. During the rut, dominant males herd females into groups and do not allow them to disperse. In this state, a male camel can be dangerous to both humans and animals. Male domestic camels are often tied or isolated when signs of the rut occur for safety reasons. In Mongolia, rutting camels kept on free grazing wear warning red bands around their necks.

Rutting males often engage in fierce fights with each other, during which they crush the enemy with their necks, trying to bend them to the ground and knock them down. Usually calm and submissive male camels at the moment of sexual arousal become dangerous, vicious, they can attack using their fangs, and beat with their front and hind legs. If teeth are used (usually they grab the opponent’s head with their teeth) or legs, then it is possible serious injuries until the death of one of the fighters. In herds of domestic camels, sometimes only the intervention of shepherds saves the weaker camel from severe injuries. It happens that wild camels attack herds of domestic camels, kill the males and take away the females - therefore, Mongolian shepherds in the Trans-Altai Gobi drive herds of domestic camels away from the desert, into the mountains during the rut, in order to protect them from the raids of the haptagai.

During the rut, males actively use their occipital glands to mark territory, arching their necks and touching their heads to the ground and stones. They also spray their own urine on their hind legs and spread the urine over the back of their body using their tail. The female does the same. Mating in camels occurs while lying down. At the moment of mating, the male Bactrian foams from his mouth, loudly grinds his teeth, and throws his head back. After 13 months of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one camel. It weighs between 35 and 45 kg, which is approximately 5–7% of the mother's weight. Interestingly, a Bactrian camel weighs much less at birth (both absolutely and relative to the mother) than a one-humped camel, which weighs about 100 kg.

A newborn camel is able to follow its mother almost immediately (after about two hours). It has small rudiments of humps without internal fat, but already at the age of one to two months the humps take a vertical position and become rounded at the base. The cub feeds exclusively on milk until 3–4 months, at which time it begins to try plant foods, but sucks for a long time. Lactation in a female lasts 1.5 years, and there are cases when grown cubs suckled their mothers at the same time as their younger newborn brothers. Camel cubs grow quickly; after reaching maturity, growth slows down, but stops only at the age of 7 years.

At the age of 3–4 years, males leave the maternal herd, form bachelor groups, and later acquire their own harem. A camel gives birth, as a rule, once every 2 years.

Lifespan

Camels live quite a long time, up to 40–50 years.

Keeping animals at the Moscow Zoo

Camels are not only one of the most common animals in zoos, but also one of the most beloved. What child would leave the zoo without seeing a camel! In the history of the Moscow Zoo, it seems, there was no period when we lived without camels, and both two-humped and one-humped camels were kept. Each had their own character, their own habits. The one-humped camel Pan was a feisty one and always tried to grab a person passing by by the head. And the two-humped giant Senya, who came to us from VDNKh, was, on the contrary, an amazing kind person.

When the zoo was being reconstructed, animals were transferred from one area to another. The camel Manka, Senya’s friend, was completely tame and simply followed the call of a familiar person who was holding a piece of bread in his hand. And a funny thing happened to Senya. The staff did not know that he had been bridle trained before and expected the camel to move away from the accessory. Senya, joyfully, but rather sharply moved his huge forehead head towards the man with the bridle, which caused quite a strong fright. It turned out that he was simply delighted with an object familiar from childhood and, happily putting on the bridle, calmly crossed Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street.

Now the camel can be seen in the New Territory of the zoo; its enclosure is located opposite the entrance to the Exotarium. This is a female, more than 20 years ago she came from the Astrakhan region and now lives with Przhealsky horses, and this company suits everyone quite well. The animals do not show the slightest hostility towards each other, but if the horse presses its ears back (and this is a sign of dissatisfaction), the camel moves away. The camel often approaches visitors, who run away exclaiming: “Oh, he’s about to spit!” There is no need to be afraid, this peace-loving animal spits extremely rarely, only at veterinarians when it is being vaccinated. You don’t need to feed him either; all the animals in the zoo receive the food they need and is healthy for them. The camel is given hay, branches (which it prefers to hay), a mixture of cut vegetables and oats. Be sure to have a salt lick with a special set of salts in the feeder. The beast comes to talk to you. Smile at him!

- Ilnar Israfilovich, how did the idea of ​​breeding camels come about?

The mastermind of the project is Svetlana Kirichenko, who heads a large Russian research center. In 2011 - 2012, this center, where I worked, was implementing a project to form a reserve of managerial personnel for the ministry Agriculture and food of the Republic of Tatarstan. At the same time, not only the competencies of managers and talented specialists were analyzed, but also the structure of the work of agricultural enterprises themselves was studied. Of course, a huge amount of research material has accumulated, while studying it we unwittingly became inspired by agriculture. Got a desire to try it out theoretical knowledge in practice, organize a farm. Svetlana Vladimirovna, in turn, being an amazing person, such a “house of advice”, who has the talent to generate ideas and attract people, fully supported us and directed our further actions in the right direction.

- You say “we”, what does that mean?

A group of young and brave like-minded people who, while working on the project I have already mentioned, truly fell in love with agriculture and decided to bring their good ideas to life. At first we didn't know what to choose. Agriculture in Tatarstan is developed quite well, and traditional types of occupations were not very interesting to us.

- You won’t surprise anyone with sheep in the republic.

You won't be surprised. It was necessary to find something that would not be afraid of Russia's accession to the WTO. Initially, camel topics were not on the agenda. Options for breeding peacocks, llamas, pot-bellied pigs were considered, and someone even suggested breeding domestic moles. There was a need for a scarce product that everyone needs and that no one has. We were looking for a niche with a low competition environment and high returns. In the end, they settled on camels, whose milk, wool and meat have unique healing and health properties. Camels are found in Buryatia, Kalmykia, and the Astrakhan region. There are nowhere closer to them, the niche is free. Moreover, farms of this kind do not exist in our region in principle.

-Have you even seen camels before?

In zoo. I am a lawyer by profession, I practice public organizations. If a few years ago they told me that I would have to change my role and solve “camel” issues, I would have considered it a joke... My colleagues and I studied camels meticulously. I was asked to think about the legal justification for the future project: any useful idea needs legal documentation, otherwise the plan turns into project-making. However, without noticing it, I plunged headlong into this project and received an offer to lead it.

- How did your acquaintances and friends react? The idea, admittedly, is quite unusual for our area...

Everyone had a lot of fun. It seemed to our friends that we were simply trying to attract attention to ourselves. Nobody believed that camels could be bred here in Tatarstan. Although we, having gotten to know these animals better, came to the opposite conclusion. We went to get acquainted with the work of camel farms in Kazakhstan, also flew to the Egyptian Camel Park and Abu Dhabi, studied everything: features of maintenance, feeding, reproduction, etc. The initial plan was to acquire 10 - 15 animals and see what would come of it, but after the trips we realized that we needed to create a full-fledged camel farm.

- What gave you confidence?

Good primary marketing research, showing a high market capacity in this direction, and orders for products even before purchasing land for a future farm, as well as familiarity with experience and a comprehensive study of the issue. Our people are used to seeing camels in the circus or zoo; they are perceived as exotic animals. But that's not true. Camels historically lived on the territory of Tatarstan. During the time of Volga Bulgaria and the Kazan Khanate, these were ordinary animals familiar to the local landscape.

“THE SHIP OF THE DESERT” FEEDS AND WATERED ITSELF

- Are camel farms a promising activity?

It is promising, and it can get great development in Tatarstan. These animals are unpretentious and hardy. In places of traditional breeding, they are simply released into the steppe, usually in late February-early March and collected only in November-December. The “ship of the desert” independently finds food and water. This is probably the only animal in the world in which everything is valued, from meat to calloused hooves. Many people wonder: how to keep camels in winter? Most people do not know that these animals can tolerate both heat and cold. Closer to winter, they are covered with thick wool, and they are not afraid of 30 - 40 degree frosts. And in Tatarstan, the conditions for camels are simply “resort-quality”. In the desert and steppe, these animals subsist on rare sources of water and dry grass with thorns. Our latitudes are full of greenery, there are no problems with water.

- How many camels do you have now and what does the project look like from an infrastructure point of view?

We purchased 50 animals and purchased two large plots for them - 10 hectares in the Laishevsky district in the village of Travkino and 100 hectares in Kamsky Ustye. Camels are free-ranging animals and need a lot of space. A full-fledged farm has been created in the Laishevsky district. The area is fenced with a decorative fence. It has its own administration with a leader, cattle workers, watchmen, and managers. There are 16 people in total. Here we brought 15 breeding double-humped stallions of the Bactrian breed. They all have names, passports, where relatives up to the third generation are indicated. There are 7 spacious paddocks created on the farm territory, with a walking route for tourists between them. By the way, we approached the latter with particular interest and invited specialists who develop routes inside large shopping centers - and that’s how our own unusual route was born. Each pen will accommodate groups of camels: females with babies, males. In the same pens for camels there are “roofs” - canopies for wintering and from rain.

Another 35 of our animals are in the Astrakhan region - certain problems arose with the supplier: our veterinarian sounded the alarm, he even rejected two camels, and prescribed a “sanatorium” regime for the rest. In general, our pets are still resting in Astrakhan.

You can see the Bactrians today, for only 200 rubles for adults and 100 rubles for children. Tourists are absolutely delighted with camels. You can rent tents, which are included in the ticket price, and spend a long time admiring the animals. Full house on Saturday and Sunday. Cars passing by stop and drivers wave in a friendly manner. Exactly the same infrastructure is planned to be built in Kama Ustye on the site of an old cowshed, which will become a camel farm. The staff at Kama Ustye will number about 20 people.

But that's not all. On this moment Another herd of 100 Kalmyk Bactrians was purchased, among which there are both adult males and females with camels. At the moment they are in Kalmykia and are undergoing veterinary training before being sent. You can see them within our walls as early as October.

- Where did you buy the camels and at what price?

On our farm, the Bactrians are of the Kalmyk breed, which are considered the largest, the rest of our pets, who are in the Astrakhan region in the summer camp, are of the Mongolian breed. On average, a purebred pedigree Bactrian costs from 150 to 300 thousand rubles, individual individuals are valued at 400 thousand rubles. The price depends on the breed of the animal, age, and also includes the costs of searching, transportation, and mandatory veterinary work. Finding a good camel is very difficult now. We looked for our Bactrians for a very long time, sometimes out of 10 animals offered by breeders we chose only one or two.

- How much have you already invested in the project? From what sources of funds? Did you take out loans?

The launch of such a project required considerable investments; private investments and funds from our friends were used. At this stage, investments in the project amounted to about 23 million rubles. No credit line has been opened yet.

- There were no problems during transportation: after all, a camel is a rather big animal?

We transported camels on special trucks. They traveled for a long time - two days, and looked after them like babies. Along the way, our pets made a splash. Drivers honked at them all the time. Passers-by slowed down and began waving their arms. Skeptical friends, when they saw live camels, experienced indescribable delight. The attitude towards the idea of ​​breeding them has changed from minus to plus. People who just yesterday did not believe in the reality of the project began to say: “Guys, go for it. And may everything work out for you.”

IN THE EAST, CONTEMPLATING A CAMEL IS EQUATED TO THERAPY

- It is common to say: stubborn as a camel. Is this fair?

There is another saying: one camel is worth seven donkeys. We were convinced of its veracity by example. When our pets arrived, we had to unload them. We drove the transport to the paddock, naively believing that the camels would come out on their own and rush into the open space. Not so. Some did just that. But the majority simply sat down and began to wait for something unknown. We spoke kind words to them, stroked them, called them for food - everything was useless. For 10 hours the camels simply sat, obeying some of their camel logic. And only when they apparently got tired of it, did they deign to go down from the truck into the pen and “eat off” the grass.

- With character, however...

The camel is an amazing animal that combines contradictory qualities. He is proud and ambitious. If a camel is offended, it can injure a person. We were warned about this more than once during study tours of camel farms. At the same time, if you treat him with affection and love, he becomes submissive, becomes attached to the person and does not show aggression. The staff at the farm addresses the camels exclusively by their first names: Aydin, Burkhan, Delgan. This animal does not recognize pressure - only love and affection.

In the East, simple contemplation of a camel is equated to therapy - another amazing property these animals. A camel calms you down and relieves stress, which is noted by many tourists. He is exceptionally smart, curious, noblely handsome. He has amazing, lively eyes. It was amazing for me to see how a camel sleeps - not with its legs under itself, but spread out. Approximately the way a dog and cat stretch their paws. When I first saw this picture, I sinfully thought that the camel was feeling bad. But when I realized what was happening, for a long time I could not take my eyes off this amazing sight - a sleeping camel.

While talking to you, I keep replaying in my head the scene from the film “Gentlemen of Fortune,” where the camel, as they say, “rewarded” Kramarov-Kosoy with a spit in the face. Has something similar happened to you?

One day, while unloading, one of the camels spat at a worker. The animals were unhappy and nervous - apparently, they were tired from the long journey. They sympathized with the worker; he spent a long time cleaning himself up afterwards. The camel does not spit a foamy mass, as was shown in the famous film, but a greenish substance that is ejected from the depths of the stomach. A terribly unpleasant mass. Contrary to popular belief, such breakdowns in animals occur extremely rarely. As they say, a camel needs to be upset to the core for it to spit.

BURA IS A BIG HAREM FAN

- Obviously, you have high hopes for your breeding stallions - Bactrians?

They are still young. But in general, a male camel has great potential. Such adults, ready for family life stallions are called bura. The male camel is a notorious polygamist. He needs a harem of 20 - 25 camels, and he does an excellent job with them. By the way, a camel bears offspring for 13 months. A female gives birth to only one stallion at a time and never two. The cub stays with its mother for up to 8 months.

- Will you work to increase the number of livestock?

Undoubtedly. As I already said, we have 100 Kalmyk Bactrians on the way, including 20 females with cubs and 20 young camels who have not yet given birth. The farm plans to increase the herd to 500 heads. However, this number may be revised upward as we are already experiencing an ever-increasing wave of excitement about our camels. We are already well known not only in Tatarstan and Russia, but also outside the country. Yes, I was invited to international festival rural tourism in Karelia, where we have established partnerships with representatives from Finland, the USA and Germany, whom we are expecting to visit closer to winter. And just a few days ago we took part in annual conference"Agricultural holdings of Russia in the Volga region." We went there for experience in the field of agribusiness, and returned with unprecedented orders for our products. It even turns out to be a paradox: demand today exceeds our supply. Therefore, the number of livestock is an open question.

- What do you feed the animals?

This issue was treated in a modern way. We have outsourced the supply of feed, its procurement and transportation, and we have drawn up appropriate agreements with both local suppliers and farms from Chuvashia and Mari El. As I already said, camels are unpretentious animals. Drink about once every three days. They love the salt that we specially bring. Here, on Laishevskaya land, they really liked the nettle, they ate it clean. Camels enjoy eating the leaves of trees. They have an interesting way of eating. They leave nothing within reach - this is due to the centuries-old experience of living in extreme conditions. So, one might say, they have done a decorative pruning of the trees, which now look as if a skilled gardener worked on them. However, animals do not touch the bark, so the trees were not particularly damaged. The local burdock is going great, which tourists love to feed to camels.

- What does your business plan imply? What areas related to camels do you intend to develop?

We see the following points of business development: camel milk production, agrotourism, wool and meat. A de facto agritourism destination already exists. The task is to give the process an established character, improving the infrastructure, turning our farms into model territories.

The most promising and profitable direction is the production of camel milk. The idea appeared while wandering in search of experience. In one of the regions of the Chechen Republic there is a small camel farm, which appeared thanks to the healing properties of camel milk. The farm owner's mother suffered from cancer. None of the doctors undertook to treat her, considering the matter hopeless. But the son heard somewhere that camel milk helps cancer patients, and incredibly managed to get a camel, and then started a whole farm - to save his mother. The most amazing thing is that after six months he got his mother back on her feet. She is still alive. And camel milk, although it is expensive, is taken away from the farm without any trace.

- How much does a liter of product cost?

Until recently, the cost of a liter of milk in Russia was 1000 rubles. Now the situation has changed, and the price fluctuates around 1300 to 1700 rubles. I'll explain why right away. The fact is that their unique healing properties This milk is obtained only when the animals themselves are properly maintained, especially in their diet. Any attempts to use low-quality hay or feed, additives and even low-quality water turn this drink from a medicinal drink into simply healthy milk. On our farm, camels drink only water from an artesian well and feed on specially selected herbs. And milking itself is a rather labor-intensive and difficult process. It is necessary to think through the process technologically, to observe sanitary standards, requirements. They are lured into special enclosures, tied, and only after that can they get down to business. A camel gives milk for one and a half years after the birth of her offspring. To study milking experience, we sent several of our employees to Kazakhstan for training.

- Is there a demand for meat?

Yes, and it’s huge. People ask for meat all the time. This is not surprising, since it is a dietary product, used in the treatment of cancer and promotes male longevity. We are also accepting orders for the upcoming Eid al-Adha. However, I would like to immediately clarify one aspect. The farm’s plans do not include the creation of a slaughterhouse, as well as the sale of meat by small retail – only live weight. Moreover, we will not touch any of the camels that live in Laishevo. For these purposes, including for the mentioned Eid al-Fitr, we have ordered special meat breeds of Bactrians. And I repeat once again, we will give only live weight.

- What can be made from camel hair?

It makes great scarves and sweaters. But wool is also valuable in itself. In eastern countries, it is customary to carry a bag of camel hair with you, especially when traveling and long trips. Such a bag brings good luck, in every sense.

- Is it difficult to find a camel specialist?

In the Volga region this is an almost fantastic task - it’s like finding a diamond. A miracle happened only once - in the Laishevsky district, where fate brought us together with our veterinarian. He is originally from Kazakhstan and, as it turns out, has been working with camels for 10 years.

THE PROJECT WENT BEYOND THE FORMULA: “IDEA – BUSINESS – MONEY”

- How long do you plan to make the business pay off?

This should happen in two to two and a half years. But I would like to say that our team thinks not only about the financial side of things. We are not crude pragmatists. No one has canceled the business component, but for us camels have become something more than just a business. The project has different dimensions: social, personal, ideological, scientific. There is a desire to reflect the experience of handling camels. We have topics for future dissertations floating around here. We discussed the issue at the level of friendly contacts with representatives of agricultural universities and found some interest on their part. Perhaps in the future a department of camel breeding will even appear in Tatarstan.

We were surprised by the requests from a number of leading Moscow cosmetology studios, who are happy to purchase our milk for the production of anti-aging products.

In terms of cultural studies, we consider the breeding of camels in the Volga region - in their historically native environment - as a kind of mission, because to a certain extent we are restoring what was lost and almost destroyed in Soviet times camel breeding industry. It may seem like a fantasy, but we dream that one day the camel will become a common addition to the local landscape.

In addition, our plans are to create a kind of agrotourism cluster in the Laishevsky district, and we are also preparing our proposals for the law “On agrotourism,” which should appear soon.

- What did you mean by mentioning the personal dimension?

I am a supporter of the project approach. A project manager, essentially. Before coming to the farm, I managed to polish this style by working with public organizations and businessmen. Within the framework of LayDay, at first this approach also prevailed: deliver the project! Do it, organize it. There was a lot of scope for activity: working with government agencies, registering land plots, escorting livestock, and so on. Great practice. But when you work on the ground, there is a shift in emphasis. You involuntarily begin to look at things differently. You stop thinking exclusively in terms of the project. My colleagues and I became attached to animals. Now we can hardly imagine ourselves without them.

- Has the world become kinder with camels?

They are admired by everyone: children, officials, poor and rich. Wherever we go, we are greeted with a friendly handshake: in the Laishev administration, the Ministry of Agriculture, the veterinary department. They tell us what to do in a given situation, they are happy, they worry about us. The atmosphere is absolutely friendly.

- Are you from Kazan?

No. I am from the village of Cheremshan, Cheremshansky district of the republic. The family moved to the capital when I was still little. Graduated in Kazan Faculty of Law KFU, currently studying in graduate school.

- What do you like to do in your free time?

They say the most best job is a well-paid hobby. This can be fully attributed to me, because camels have become for me not only work, but also a spiritual activity. But that is not all. My credo is legal education of the population. I head the council of young lawyers of the Russian Bar Association in Tatarstan. We have established a practice of free legal consultations. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic allocates a bus for this purpose, we go to the districts, communicate with people, and do educational work. Once a quarter we organize free legal consultations in Kazan. I also play football. For some time I even did this professionally. Now I meet with friends at the football field on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

- Traditional question from BUSINESS Online: three tips for a successful business?

First. You have to do what you love so that it brings pleasure. Secondly, it is necessary to work out the project in detail. Attention to detail is important; a superficial attitude ruins things. A business project is like building a house, where there must be a complete set of materials, including the last screw. If you miss one little thing, the house will collapse. The third component is the environment, the people you work with. Important not only professional quality, but also the way people’s eyes light up. Working with a light always gives a greater effect.

Today, many in Russia have begun to breed camels, but mating camels poses a big problem for entrepreneurs. This business is relevant for the southern part of the country. These animals produce fatty milk, they have dietary meat, and various textile products can be created from their skins. All this fuels farmers' interest in camels. But it is necessary to understand what conditions are needed for these animals to have offspring.

The rut begins in these animals in the fall. During sexual activity, they roar loudly and rush in different directions. In every herd there are dominant males who are the strongest. They drive females into one or more groups, not allowing them to disperse. If someone tries to violate the boundary of such a male, then he attacks, regardless of whether it is a person or another camel who has invaded his territory.

During a fight, camels try to crush their opponent with their neck, pinning him to the ground. In rare cases, teeth are used. Thus, the timely intervention of a shepherd can save a weaker individual from severe injuries.

Important. In areas where wild camels are found, it is necessary to carefully herd the herd. Attacks on domestic males often occur in order to take away females. An unarmed person cannot repel such an attack.

The occipital gland in camels is used to mark territory. They touch the back of their heads to the ground and stones, arching their necks in an unnatural way. They also spray urine on their hind legs and smear it with their tail, enhancing their scent.

When they see a female, males blow pink bubbles to attract her attention. Usually the female camel chooses the one whose bladders are the largest. In this case, she lies down in front of him, bending all her legs under her. It is worth noting that the male camel tries to impregnate the maximum number of females during the rutting period.

Reproduction and lifespan

The average life expectancy of camels is 40 years. They are used for heavy work and their meat is also used in the food industry. The skin is used in the textile industry. As a rule, individuals that are unsuitable for reproduction are used for meat. This:

• hybrids;
• weak individuals;
• not showing dominant traits.

Thus, in each herd only 2 - 3 dominant males remain, all the rest are castrated, and when they reach a certain age they are sent to slaughter.

Puberty

Females mature earlier than males. The minimum age at which camels are ready to mate is 3 years. However, they usually take 5 years. Some males mature after 6 years, but this is rather an exception.

Important. Regardless of their readiness to perform the reproductive function, by the age of 3 years, males exhibit pronounced signs of sexual dimorphism.

This manifests itself as follows:

• size (male camels are larger);
• color (females have lighter coat color).

Peculiarities of offspring reproduction

Female camels give birth every two years. Usually one baby is born, but sometimes twins can be born. In 70% of cases, twin pregnancies end in miscarriage. The standard gestation period is 13 months. Experts also note a range from 360 to 440 days.

The birth process occurs while standing. Peak camel births are March and April. The baby's weight can vary from 35 kg to 45 kg. His height at the shoulders is approximately 90 cm.

After just a couple of hours, he is able to move independently and cover relatively short distances. Camel calves are fed milk for 6 – 8 months. The maximum lactation period is 1.5 years.

Important. If childbirth is difficult as a result of the large size of the fetus, then people help the woman in labor (in the steppe conditions there is no one to help wild individuals, so they often die during childbirth). They pull the baby camel out with ropes. The assistance of 3–5 people may be required.

Interestingly, a baby camel with two humps is born smaller than its one-humped counterpart.

Maternal instinct

Camels have a highly developed instinct. The baby stays with the mother for a long time. Typically, the caregiving process lasts until sexual maturity. But sometimes the female abandons the baby camel and refuses to feed it just a few weeks after giving birth.

Domestic camels care for their children longer than their wild relatives. After reaching puberty, males stay in small herds away from females. During the breeding season, they can claim their rights to the female half of the herd and fight with the dominant male. Having won the battle, he receives the right to mate.

It is worth noting that at home, dominant males are often tied up, not allowing them to mate with females. In this case, other males can continue their lineage. Dominant males also take part in the reproductive process, since the strongest individuals are born about them. However, weak ones are also necessary, since they are used for meat.

Differences between domestic camels and wild ones

These animals are able to live without water for a long time, but they really drink a lot once they get to it. They have excellent endurance, which allows them to be used instead of horses in hot climates. Humps are used to accumulate water reserves.

Externally, a domesticated camel is almost no different from its wild ancestor. However, some features are present. So, in wild animals:

Wild camels are almost never found in nature due to processes of urbanization and domestication. There are no more than 3,000 of them left in the world.

Types of mixed camels

Today there are several species of these animals. Farmers try not to breed mestizos, preserving the breed, but this is not always possible. This is especially true in countries where wild species exist.

Table. Types of camels

Camel	Peculiarities
	Weighing up to 1 ton, it appeared as a result of the mating of a one-humped arvan and a two-humped camel from the steppes of Kazakhstan. They have excellent milk production qualities. One female can produce up to 2,000 liters of milk per year.
	A cross between a dromedary and a llama. Low weight and height. The average body weight is no more than 80 kg, and the height is only 140 cm. It does not have a hump, but it is bred for its large carrying capacity and the ability to transport cargo in difficult places.
	It is necessary to cross a female Turkmen camel with an Arwan. This individual has thick and high-quality wool and a large amount of meat. Camel cubs are born with one hump.
	This is a rare and poorly adapted species that is born as a result of the intercourse of two hybrids.
	A cross between iner and Turkmen camel. It produces a lot of milk, but this species is almost never bred, since its fat content is low. This camel also has low-quality wool.
Kaspak	A hybrid of Bactrian and Nara, which is popular on farms. He has large milk yields and large meat mass.
Kez-nar	Has the best milk yield. A cross between a kaspak and a Turkmen camel.

Jarbays are castrated almost immediately so that they cannot reproduce further, and sex hormones do not spoil the meat. They appear only as a result of random crossing. Entrepreneurs are not interested in breeding them due to the almost complete lack of beneficial properties in the animal.

Features of the dromedary camel

This type is considered a running type. It is rarely used for transporting various goods. It is rather a “ship of the desert”. It is very hardy and is able to travel long distances during the day. Its average speed is from 15 to 23 km/h, which is more than that of a horse. Some dromedaries accelerated to 65 km/h, but a camel cannot maintain such a pace for a long time.

The height of the animal can reach 210 cm; it is also inferior to its two-humped relative in weight. However, it does not tolerate cold well, so it is quite difficult to breed it in the south of Russia. Its fur can provide excellent protection from the sun, but provides almost no warmth.

Dromedaries have a short but shaggy mane. There is also similar hair on the back and in the area of ​​the shoulder blades. The coat has a sandy tint, but sometimes you can find individuals of other colors. Babies are often white.

Entrepreneurs often breed these camels for racing. They can run fast for quite a long time, and camel racing is very popular in some countries. Thus, a breeding camel can be sold for several hundred thousand dollars.

Bactrian camel

These animals can reach 230 cm in height. The humps account for up to 60 cm, and the distance between them varies from 20 cm to 40 cm.

This species has a strongly curved neck. As a result of this, the head and shoulders themselves are at the same height, which is not typical for single-humped breeds.

The wool is very thick enough to keep you warm in extreme cold. Therefore, it is possible to breed them not only in the south of Russia, but also in the southern zone of Siberia. In particular, in the Altai Territory and even in Novosibirsk region there are entire farms of 30 - 40 heads.

Varieties of camels

Despite the presence of only two breeds: with one and two humps, scientists distinguish several species. They are distinguished by geography.

The Kalmyk camel is considered the most unpretentious for breeding on a farm. It is bred specifically for wool and meat. He has a calm character and is unpretentious.

There are also a large number of racing breeds, but the differences between them are small. For example, the Sudanese and Omani breeds are almost exactly the same, and perform equally well at races. The fundamental difference lies in the place of release.

Camel and man

Today, camel breeding in Russia has begun to gain popularity. The meat of young animals is highly valued in restaurants. Wool has excellent qualities, and the fat can be used in cooking and pharmaceuticals. These animals also have tasty and rich milk.

Here are some benefits of camel breeding:

• low level of competition;
• low feed requirements;
• the ability to use animal meat, fat, wool, skin and milk for sale;
• low breeding costs.

Farmers may only have a problem during the mating period, as the animals behave very aggressively. However, this problem can be solved by isolating several individuals from the herd. Those that are initially intended for meat must be castrated before they reach puberty.

In Russia, the culture of eating camel meat has not been developed, which will allow it to be sold as a delicacy. Thus, the farmer’s profit automatically increases several times. Many textile companies are ready to buy wool at a favorable price to diversify production.

Today, light industrial products made from camel leather and wool are usually bought in Mongolia or Kazakhstan.

It is important to understand that nutrition is much simpler and cheaper than with the same cows. You can read more about feeding cows in. One individual eats only 1.5 tons of grain, 5 tons of hay and about 70 kg of salt per year. However, it is recommended to clarify in detail how to feed a particular species from specialists who sell young animals. These animals can even feed on low-quality grass, allowing you to set up a farm almost anywhere.

You can buy camels in Russia at one of the breeding farms located in the Volga region or in the south of Siberia. One baby camel costs about 70 thousand rubles.

Thus, camel breeding in Russia can become a very profitable industry if you build a marketing plan correctly. Selling 100 - 200 kg of meat per day is not difficult, having about 40 heads in the herd. At the same time, there will be additional profit during the molting period from wool and milk yield.

However, it is advisable to weigh the pros and cons because low-maintenance camels may not be profitable in some regions. It is best to agree in advance with several companies about the purchase of goods in order to be guaranteed to have a profit from sales. It is also necessary to have qualified specialists who know the habits of camels and the peculiarities of their breeding.

Video - Camel breeding as a business

When breeding camels, purebred breeding, interbreeding and hybridization are used. The largest number of camel breeding stock in our republic is represented by the Kazakh Bactrian breed - more than 7 thousand or 86.8%.

The largest population of breeding Kazakh Bactrians is concentrated in Kyzylorda - more than 2.2 thousand and Atyrau - about thousand. Arvan accounts for a little more than 13% of the republic's camel breeding population.
Further breeding work requires careful differentiation of camel species and breeds, as well as clear application of breeding methods - purebred, interspecific and interbreed.
Scientists of the republic have developed methods for increasing the breeding and productive qualities of the Kazakh Bactrian breed through purebred breeding and crossing with Kalmyk Bactrian and Turkmen Arvana sires.
According to Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Z.M. Musaeva, the goal of breeding purebred Kazakh camels is to obtain animals of combined productivity with the predominant development of the milk production trait. Many years of experience show that female camels of the Kazakh breed can be successfully used in dairy camel breeding under the “camel-camel” program. However, it is more expedient in the conditions of our republic to preserve and improve the combined types in the breed: dairy, meat and wool. Crosses from crossing with Turkmen Aruan sires should be bred according to the Kazakh breed's dairy type program.
Based on the concept of development of the agro-industrial complex of PK for the period until 2010, there should be a stabilization of the livestock at the level of 180-200 thousand heads, an increase in the milk yield of camels from 600 kg in 1995 to 1000 kg in 2010. The introduction of regional quotas for shubat production with the payment of guaranteed purchase prices, ensuring the possibility of expanded reproduction of the industry and protecting the interests of the domestic shubat producer.
Purebred breeding of the Kazakh Bactrian involves careful selection for exterior, body indices, fertility and milk production. B. Kozhan et al. believe that the queens of a breeding herd should have a live weight of at least 520 kg, a wool clip of 5.0 kg, a height between humps of 165 cm, an oblique length of the body - 140 cm, a chest girth of 225 cm, a pastern girth of - 20.5 cm.
Purebred males producing Bactrian must have a live weight of at least 650 kg, and a wool clip of at least 7.0 kg. Milk productivity of mothers for 12 months of lactation - 1250 kg with a fat content of at least 5.2%
The best among the Bactrian camel breeds is the Kalmyk and it is used as an improvement for other Bactrian camel breeds - Kazakh and Mongolian. Kazakh-Kalmyk bactrians in our republic are distributed mainly in West Kazakhstan, Atyrau and Aktobe regions. In the South Kazakhstan region, the number of Kazakh-Kalmyk Bactrians is more than 1000 animals.
Crossing Kazakh and Mongolian camels with Kalmyk ones, carried out with the aim of improving them, does not interfere with purebred breeding, because does not break the established breed type of Bactrian camels, but only increases their height and productive qualities, and creates the basis for further breeding work.
Since ancient times, the indigenous populations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have practiced crossing Bactrians and Dromedars. Scientists believe that interspecific hybridization between two-humped and one-humped camels has great importance in the national economy. According to Turkic terminology, male hybrids are called Nars, or Iners, and females are called Nar-Maya, and they are distinguished by increased heterosis.
Heterosis manifests itself already in newborn camels, which are born with a larger live weight. Subsequently, higher average daily increases are observed.

Adult hybrids of the 1st generation have a greater height at the withers - from 180 to 215 cm, in comparison with Bactrians and Dromedars - 170-175. The bones and muscles are powerful, the traction power and endurance are much higher. The milk yield of Nar-Mayan hybrids is 2000 liters or more of milk per year, with a fat content of up to 5.14%, while the average milk yield of Bactrians is 800 liters, dromedary 1300 -1400 liters.
The Turkmens call the male of the 1st generation iner, the female, like the Kazakhs - Maya or iner - Maya.
The high viability of first-generation hybrids - Nars and Iners - is manifested in their exceptional strength and endurance, and lower susceptibility to diseases. Under equal conditions of keeping and feeding, bunks and iners have higher fatness compared to Bactrians and Dromedaries.
The appearance of the Nars and Mayans is similar to the dromedaries, however, the hump, although there is only one, is always elongated. Males do not have the velum palatine characteristic of dromedaries, thanks to which they produce peculiar sounds during the raven period. Keeping in mind the appearance of the hybrid, it becomes clear that camels cannot be divided simply into one-humped and two-humped camels, because Hybrids can also be one-humped.
Hybrids are not bred “in themselves”, because the resulting offspring are inferior. Males of the 1st generation are usually castrated, and females are covered with the producers of the original species (Bactrian, or dromedary).

By covering the hybrid uterus with Bactrian, as a result of absorption crossing, bal-cospaks are obtained (3/4 blood according to Bactrian), having two humps united by a fold. With further coating of the queens of 2nd generation hybrids with Bactrians, cospaks with two humps close together are born.
When the Nar-Maya are covered with dromedaries, single-humped males - kochert and females - kerdari are born. Hybrids of subsequent generations are called sapaldryks. In the second and subsequent crossings, heterosis disappears.
Camels born from a male and female 1st generation hybrid are called “jarbal”, which means “stuffed animal”. They have a poorly developed chest (crooked chest), weak constitution and bone structure, and high mortality. Therefore, 1st generation hybrids are of economic importance and it is difficult to talk about creating a new breed by hybridization.
In the areas where Bactrian is distributed, 1st generation hybrids are obtained by covering their females with dromedaries, and in areas where dromedaries are bred, their females are covered with Bactrians.

In the practice of camel breeding, it is necessary to be able to distinguish purebred camels from hybrids.

I - purebred Bactrian; II - purebred dromedary; III - first generation hybrid; IV - a descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a Bactrian; V is a descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a dromedary.
A purebred Bactrian has two separate humps. Between their bases there is a gap of at least 10 cm unfilled with fat. There is a mane along the upper edge of the neck, and a beard along the entire lower edge of the neck. The forearms have a strongly developed edge. The purebred dromedary has one compact hump located in the center of the back. Along the upper edge of the neck there is a small mane, along the lower edge there is a short beard, reaching only half of the neck; the forearms have no edges; and in the area of ​​the shoulder blade there is an edge in the form of epaulettes. The first generation hybrid has one slightly extended hump with a small notch in the front half. The type of growth is identical to Bactrian. The descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a Bactrian has a forked hump. The type of growth is identical to Bactrian. Hybrids of subsequent generations of absorption crossing on Bactrian have an increasingly bifurcated hump, without a gap between the humps. The descendant from crossing a first generation hybrid with a dromedary has one compact hump, like a dromedary, but differs from it in the shape of the hair. It has an edge on the shoulders - riding breeches. Hybrids of subsequent generations of absorption crossing on the dromedary also have the edge of the forearms, although insignificant. 02/27/2014 2,712

By the age of 25, the newly minted entrepreneur Ilnar Girfanov had managed to try himself in different guises. A lawyer by education, a social activist by vocation, a farmer by passion.

Author of a number of scientific publications in Russian and English languages. Multiple scholarship holder of the Charitable Foundation named after. V. Potanin. Winner of high awards, including Letter of thanks President Russian Federation V.V. Putin, Letter of Gratitude from the Chairman of the Board of the Association of Lawyers of Russia I.E. Manylova. Today Ilnar Girfanov is the managing director of the LAIDOYA camel farm, which was created in May last year. The unusual name is simply deciphered: “LAI” means the location of the farm - Laishevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, “DOYA” (translated from Tatar language"doya" means "camel"). Thus, on Laishevskaya land, the only camel breeding farm in the entire Volga Federal District arose, in which everything is valuable: milk, wool, meat and even hooves. The inspirer of the project, Svetlana Kirichenko, is the head of a Russian research center. Working under her supervision, Ilnar studied the work of agricultural farms. Soon the accumulated research material resulted in the idea of ​​creating my own business.

“At first we didn’t know which direction of agriculture was best to focus on. Options for breeding peacocks, llamas, pot-bellied pigs, and domestic moles were considered. The idea of ​​camels came much later. And I thought about the legal justification for the business project,” Ilnar recalls.

Then study tours to Kazakhstan, Egypt, UAE. Members of the Tatarstan delegation studied everything: the features of keeping, feeding, breeding, milking camels, their character. In our country, camels are perceived as exotic animals. However, during the time of the Volga Bulgaria they historically lived on the territory of Tatarstan. For their ancestors, these were animals common to the local landscape. “We consider the breeding of camels in their historically native environment as a kind of mission to restore camel breeding, which was lost in Soviet times. We believe that in our time the camel will become a familiar addition to the local landscape.”

The LAIDOYA farm currently houses 150 Bactrians of the Kalmyk breed. Everyone has their own name like Aydin, Burkhan, Delgan, etc.; passports indicating relatives up to the third generation. Three males are already accustomed to the attention of visitors. Females and cubs live separately. A camel bears her offspring for 13 months. At a time, a female gives birth to only one stallion and never two. The cub stays with its mother for up to 8 months. Camels live on average up to 75 years. So, during her life, a camel can give birth 40 times. Camels feel great both in 30-degree heat and at minus 30 °C. They are unpretentious and hardy. Closer to winter, they are covered with thick wool and do not feel the harsh Russian cold.

Camels are free-ranging animals and need a lot of space. According to the business plan, two large plots were acquired - 10 hectares of land in the Laishevsky district and 100 hectares in the Kamsko-Ustinsky districts of Tatarstan. A full-fledged farm with administration and workers has been created in the Laishevsky district. The total staff is 16 people. Seven spacious paddocks have been created on the farm’s territory, with a walking route for tourists between them. In the same pens for camels there are shelters for wintering and from rain. In the future, there will also be a souvenir shop, a milking shop, and catering establishments here. Exactly the same infrastructure is planned to be built in Kama Ustye. You can see the Bactrians today. All guests are welcome at the farm. The entrance ticket costs 200 rubles. This includes an excursion with a fascinating story about the “ships of the desert”, rental of tents for recreation. In the East, simply contemplating a camel is equated to therapy. A camel calms you down and relieves stress, which is noted by many tourists.

“I often conduct excursions myself, although every employee can easily do this. Before recruiting staff, we conducted thorough preparation and training of specialists. Many employees are residents of nearby villages. Thus, I believe that we are also fulfilling a social mission - employment of rural people, who are often unclaimed,” says Ilnar Girfanov.

Problems with finding qualified personnel may arise in the future. After all, the management of the farm plans to establish the production of camel milk, meat, wool and develop agrotourism, which is emerging in Tatarstan. According to calculations, the most profitable direction will be milk production. Its price ranges from 1300 to 1700 rubles per liter. The fact is that this milk acquires its unique healing properties only when the animals are properly kept and fed. And milking itself is a labor-intensive and expensive process. A camel gives milk within one and a half years after the birth of her offspring. There is a great demand for meat. It is a dietary product, widely used in the treatment of cancer and promotes male longevity. Of course, there will be no slaughterhouse on the farm’s territory. Meat will be sold only by live weight. Camel wool makes excellent scarves, sweaters, stoles, socks, slippers, pillows, bed linen, and carpets.

In eastern countries, it is customary to carry a bag of camel hair with you. People believe that it brings good luck in everything. “We plan to conclude an agreement with Turkmenistan for the production of carpets self made from camel hair. We held preliminary negotiations. Therefore, after the first tonsure, a batch of camel fluff will go to factories. On average, one camel produces six kilograms of wool, which has an excellent warming effect. This property dilates blood vessels, enhancing blood microcirculation and metabolism, which effectively treats neuritis, osteochondrosis, neuralgia, rheumatism and arthritis. Only camel wool does not become electrified and is the best at removing static voltage. It repels dust and protects us from the effects of electromagnetic fields. An Eastern belief says: “The presence of camel hair in the house brings good luck.” The modern beauty industry widely uses lanolin (animal wax). As part of creams and serums, it actively acts on skin cells, giving it elasticity and softness. One of the largest cosmetic corporations has already approached the management of LAIDOYA with a proposal for cooperation.

The launch of such an ambitious and high-profile project for Tatarstan required considerable investments. Investments amounted to about 23 million rubles. However, not a single loan was taken out. In the future, it is planned to invest another 20 million. No wonder, because on average, a purebred pedigree Bactrian costs from 150 to 300 thousand rubles, individual individuals are valued at 400 thousand rubles. The price depends on the breed of the animal, age, transportation and mandatory veterinary work. According to Ilnar Girfanov, the payback period for the project is two years. “The business component, of course, has not been canceled, but the project also has a charitable mission. Now we are happy to host children from orphanages diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and organize excursions for rural schoolchildren. In addition, we have topics for future dissertations floating around here. We hope that with our light hand air in Tatarstan there will even be a department of camel breeding. But the immediate plans are to create a legal framework for agritourism. We are preparing our proposals for the law “On agrotourism”, which should appear in Russia soon. After this, I think many graduates of agricultural institutes will be interested in implementing bold projects.”