Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
THINK desert and one of the images that comes instantly to mind is that of the camel.
Called ‘ship of the desert’ these graceful, tall animals were reared for their hide, hair, milk, meat and as a means of transport.
Today, in Bahrain, camels are reared for prestige, are rarely used for travelling and GulfWeekly visited a beautiful, sprawling farm in Janabiya that is the home of around 350 camels living in harmony alongside hundreds of date palm trees and several others including mango, pomegranate and jambul.
Located at the end of the Janabiya highway, the farm is owned by Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammad Al Khalifa, and has been rearing camels for more than 40 years.
Kirpal Singh, one of the workers at the farm, said: “I have been here over 30 years. When I first came there were only 22 camels. Training, good food and breeding have helped the brood grow to its present numbers now.”
GulfWeekly had the pleasure of going right inside the farm and touring the traditional camel enclosure.
The scents of hay and camels were all around us. Despite being in the open, afternoon sun the place was cool and a light breeze made our visit most pleasant.
We were surrounded by camel sounds as soon as we entered the farm. They are indeed very noisy animals.
A train of 150 camels were just returning from their regular morning walk. The camels are taken for walks both in the morning and evening that last for around three hours each.
Their grunting noises grew more excited as the camels got closer to their food in a separate enclosure.
“On an average a camel eats roughly 10kg of grass and 2-3kg of dates a day,” said Khalifa Ahmed Al Hiddi, the foreman of the farm. They also occasionally have wheat and bran, he added.
“Overeating can cause the animals to get sick,” said Dr Syed Mohammed, the farm’s vet.
“There are some cases of digestion problems and blood parasites. I have been looking after the camels on this farm for around five years and I generally find the animals pretty healthy.”
Traditional Arabic medicine uses camel milk and urine and many locals come seeking camel milk at the farm, said Khalifa.
A female camel is mature and ready to mate at the age of four. At the Janabiya camel farm there are around 15 fully mature males.
“They are highly virile and if left free can tear each other apart for the females on the farm,” said Khalifa.
And it is no wonder that the farm saw 80 babies born last season between August and April. The youngest camel was born in May and we saw her returning from her early morning walk with her mother.
In Arab cuisine, camel meat is a delicacy and is offered to special guests.
During Ramadan camels from this farm are offered in charity for their meat. Camel fur was traditionally used to make the embroidered robe that Arab men wear over their thobes. The farm welcomes visitors and children and has recently made special viewing enclosures for adult and baby camels with their mothers.
By Anasuya Kesavan
anasuyak7@gmail.com
