Where does the long 'journey' of the camels go?

Helena Bauer

doi:10.5565/rev/da.379

Abstract

Hardly any of us knows about sad and appalling story of camels in Egypt. Once being esteemed in Bedouin culture as the Bedouin's constant companion role of camels in Arab world has turned over centuries. Nowadays they are mainly used for sports and leisure or as 'farm' animals bred and kept for milk and meat production. Egypt is one of most important countries importing live camels. Every year hundreds of thousands of camels are imported as ‘slaughter’ animals particularly from Somalia and Sudan to provide internal Egyptian market with camel meat. These transports by road, foot or sea are extremely long and exhausting for camels, and some of them do not survive exertions. At markets they are faced with very rough and brutal handling methods. However, alarming and wide-spread animal welfare problems generated from unbearable transport and handling conditions which camels must endure on transports, markets and in slaughterhouses in Egypt are not discussed up to present day. Egypt is lacking any animal welfare legislation. Even though being member of World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE), Egypt does not comply with OIE standards on animal welfare in which also camels are included. Therefore, it is high time to put an end to extreme suffering of camels and grant them protection status they deserve.

Highlights

Any of us knows about the sad and appalling story of the camels in Egypt
Los alarmantes y generalizados problemas de bienestar animal generados por las insoportables condiciones de transporte y manejo que los camellos deben soportar en transportes, mercados y mataderos en Egipto no se han discutido hasta el día de hoy
The relationship between humans and camels1 began in Arabia approximately 4000 years ago with the domestication of their wild ancestors

Summary

Introduction

Any of us knows about the sad and appalling story of the camels in Egypt. Once being esteemed in the Bedouin culture as "the Bedouin's constant companion" the role of the camels in the Arab world has turned over the centuries. Los alarmantes y generalizados problemas de bienestar animal generados por las insoportables condiciones de transporte y manejo que los camellos deben soportar en transportes, mercados y mataderos en Egipto no se han discutido hasta el día de hoy. A pesar de ser miembro de la Organización Mundial de Sanidad Animal (OIE), Egipto no cumple con las normas de la OIE sobre bienestar animal en las que también se incluyen los camellos.

Results

Conclusion