The Bactrian Camels of Ladakh

The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. They are mainly found in the cold deserts of China, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. A small but noticeable population of C. bactrianus also exists in India, distributed largely in the Nubra valley of the Ladakh region (a cold, arid desert in Trans-Himalayas). The Bactrian or double-humped camel is found in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh. It is one of the last remnants of the Silk Route trade in India.

As per available information, the Bactrian Camel first came to Ladakh in 872 AD. These Camels were brought by the Silk Route travellers. Travellers of Yarkand introduced them as draught animals in Ladakh. However, after the silk route fell in disuse, a few Bactrian camels remained in Nubra Valley with the local silk merchants and carriers. With time they grew in population but remained in bad shape and survived the neglect because they are very hardy animals.

Bactrian Camels are one of the least cared-for livestock in India. They are not only the true heritage animal but also one of the most unique species that have mutated to become an Indianized one.

The Bactrian Camel: Declaring it a National Living Heritage Animal

The two-humped Bactrian camel was used to transport goods on the Silk Route. This intrepid animal was the backbone of the silk trade. It carried heavy loads for a long distance braving cold and hot deserts facing extremes of temperatures from freezing cold to scorching heat. This hardy species has contributed a lot to the spread of knowledge and skill across the civilizations and was the mainstay for the success and sustainability of the trade along the silk route.

The Bactrian Camels were on the verge of extinction till the enterprising residents of the Hunder Village in Nubra Valley took the mantle of saving them. Today from a mere 200 in 2003, the numbers have crossed 1400.

In 2003, the villagers, after noticing a good influx of tourists in Nubra Valley, decided to launch Bactrian camel safaris. This became an instant hit with the tourists. Nubra Valley, with the Shyok River flowing, is an incredibly beautiful place. A ride on a two-humped Bactrian Camel on white sands with the Himalayas Hindukush Mountains staring at the tourists mesmerizes them.

As the ingenuity of “Bactrian Camel Safaris” grew in popularity, the villagers decided to register their enterprise, and thus the “Central Asia Camel Safari”, a registered cooperative society, came into existence in 2009. The neighbouring villages, namely Sumur, Tigger, and Diskit, also formed their own Bactrian Camel Cooperatives and Unions.

Bactrian camel offers a great avenue for the prosperity of people living in Nubra Valley. If the right measures and steps are taken, the health of these animals can be improved while they contribute to the increasing demand for tourism. Considering how the conditions in which the locals live, we need to create a model that gives an incentive to the locals to take more care of these animals. Also, the Govt. needs to support the locals in this endeavour.

The Central Silk Board needs to take up this issue with the concerned ministries. On my part, I have written to PMO (Prime Minister’s Office), MOEF & CC (Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change) and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. I will also be writing to the M.P. of Ladakh, the local MLA, and the Administrator of UT Ladakh. The National Productivity Council (NPC) has been requested to declare it a “Living Heritage Animal in terms of productivity of Labour”.

A new battle for the “Ladakhi Bactrian Camel”

The Chinese aggression along the Sino-India border has made the Indian army to think of innovative ways to contain it and dominate the region in a better way. This new pragmatic thinking has put the Ladakhi Bactrian Camels at the forefront again. The Silk Route Heroes are to be employed by the Indian army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh on a pilot basis. Though the single-humped Camels are also under consideration, in the cold areas of Ladakh only the Bactrian Camels would survive. After the pilot project’s completion, camels would be used by the military in the region and in terrain between the altitude of 12,000 and 15,500 feet.

Currently, the Indian Army uses mules and ponies in the region. They have the capacity to carry about 40 kg of load. In comparison, the double-humped (Bactrian) camels can carry between 180-220 kg of load and can cover a distance of 10 to 15 km within two hours. The “Defence Institute of High Altitude Research” (DIHAR), a unit of the “Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)” in Leh, has already started research on the load-carrying capacity of the Bactrian camels.

It has been reported that the Indian Army has already been given four single-humped (dromedary) camels to Ladakh from the “National Research Centre” on Camel in Bikaner. This could be a failure as the dromedary animal may not be able to perform at the desired levels at high altitudes, and this needs to be relooked seriously.

I would still suggest strongly that it is only the Ladakhi Bactrian Camel that would be the best bet for the Indian Army as they are meant to live in difficult and cold climates while the single-humped camel would not find it easy to do.

This shows that slowly the true potential of Bactrian camels is being recognized. Its high time policy intervention should be done and a roadmap is prepared so that they can be beneficial to the local population as well as the army.

A prosperous economy with Bactrian Camels

The Bactrian Camels of Ladakh have the real capability of changing the economics of the Nubra Valley, making the stakeholders prosperous and rich.

I have discussed this in detail in my ebook that is available on Amazon.

 Some relevant information:

This camel is of immense interest to researchers as it can withstand temperatures as low as minus-30 degrees Celsius, has high disease resistance, and has a very high feed conversion efficiency. The double-hump camel can propagate naturally, roaming and grazing in the rangeland all year round without any supplementary feed. They are the only land animals that can drink salt water and even digest rope, clothes, thorny food, etc. Yet their population is in danger of being wiped out for lack of good care by the villagers who themselves are poor, and in case of any endemic disease, we might lose them all.

Despite being such a toughened breed, they suffer from many diseases, especially cornea problems, get eye injuries (due to their semi-wild living conditions and grazing seacauses injuries), and face a lack of good food during the pregnancy buckthorn that females. There is virtually no post-natal care for the mothers. Predators like foxes, etc., attack the young and newborns, and that also restricts the faster increase of their population. The UTI, an incessant urination disease, also takes its toll. The villagers are taking some care, and the local Remount Veterinary Corps Unit’s Army Hospital is doing a yeoman job. There is also a State Veterinary Hospital located at Diskit that takes care of but suffers from a lack of doctors, medicines, and sophisticated equipment. All these are to be seriously looked at and necessary remedial measures are taken.

The two-humped Bactrian Camel can go without water for a long time, and it can store water up to 60-65 litres. It also stores the food in its humps, and in case of scarcity, it uses the food stored in the humps. The humps then shrink and lean to one side, and once the camel gets its food, the hump is restored to its original position.

Immediate steps should be taken so that they are not lost in the sands of time. The Bactrian Camel of Ladakh should be declared a National Productivity Living Heritage Animal or simply a National Productivity Heritage Animal.