I think this is just one of those classic images of when one imagines a Middle Eastern desert scene with the camel at rest and the tent off in the distance. If you look closely, you can see the little head of a baby camel peeking out over his mama’s shoulders. The four lined scars on the camel’s thigh are actually branding, similar to cattle branding. It is achieved by applying a hot poker to the camel’s skin. Below is a short video that shows the camel branding process. I find it amazing that one of the guys holds onto the camel by the mouth with his bare hands.
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Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, is KSA's 2nd largest city and is located on its west coast, right on the Red Sea. I moved here in 2007 with my Saudi hubby. This journal reflects the things that I see here, life through my eyes, my lens.
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How cruel. It would have been more humane to made the branding iron hot enough and then only need to have it seered into the head of that camel in one quick moment. Barbaric
Interesting but i find it hard to look at
Well, that’s something I’ve never seen before! Quite a video!
Horses and donkeys can be tranquilized by this method of squeezing the muzzle or the ear. If you put pressure on the correct pressure point, it releases endorphins.
I wonder if they ever implant a little chip under the skin, to help find the camels if they are lost or stolen.
Implanted Chips would be a great idea, but the camel industry here seems to be rather primitive…
Just as well …
BTW, the technique I described is called twitching the horse.
I’m just wondering .why do they do that do the camel. Is it because to distinguish it from other camels?
Yes, Omar – in the southwest US where I grew up, all the cattle ranches have their own symbol or logo, and all the cattle are branded with that symbol, to identify the ranch or owner they belong to. So I’m sure this is why they brand the camels this way too.
The calf is so cute!
I only dare to open the baby’s mouth. 😉