The SOAS Camel
Conference 2017
An international conference held at the
School of Oriental and African Studies [SOAS, London]
Saturday 29 April 2017
_________________
This is
an archive site for the storage of papers presented at our 2017 Camel
Conference.
The full
archive of all papers from 2010 to the present day can be found at www.geocities.ws/soascamelconference
Copyright
of all papers rests with the authors.
Only blue links are active. This is a work in
progress.
2017
CONFERENCE [Held at SOAS,
Saturday 29th April 2017]
1. The folklore culture
of the camel in Mongolian life
Aiyisi (1),
Surong Hasi (2), and Jirimutu(2) [(2), (3)
Inner Mongolia Agricultural University]*
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
2. Whole blood viscosity, optimal haematocrit
in camel (C. dromedarius)
Roland Auer (1), Julian A.
Skidmore (2), Ursula Windberger (1) [(1) Medical University Vienna,
Center for Biomedical Research, Vienna, Austria; (2) Camel
Reproduction Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
3. Camel men of Giza in post-Revolution Egypt
Doug Baum [Texas Camel Corps]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
4. Saving the
wonderful Kharai camels
Ramesh Bhatti [Center for Pastoralism, Sahjeevan, Gujarat] and
Shouryamoy Das [Independent researcher]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
5. Camels in Ottoman
armies from the 16th century
William Clarence-Smith [SOAS, University of London]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
6. A brief
note on eating camel meat
Ed Emery [SOAS, University of London]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
7. Tracks on the desert’s dusty face – sixty
colour photos
John Hare [Wild Camel Protection Foundation]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
8. Dromedary cultures: how the past determines
the future
Ilse
Köhler-Rollefson [League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock
Development]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
9. A preliminary research on the fabrication
process of the roasted whole Bactrian camel
Mingliang (1), Hao Sibilige (2), and Jirimutu (3) [(1), (3) Inner Mongolia Agricultural University; (2) Urad Gobi Red Camel Association of Inner Mongolia]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
10. Symbiotic camel stable: socially acceptable
dairy farming in the Netherlands
Marcel
Smits [European Camel Research Society] and Dorieke Goodijk, [Koning
Boer]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
Clot formation is
retarded in dromedary camel in comparison to other mammals
Ursula Windberger [Decentralized Biomedical
Facilities, Medical University Vienna, Austria], and others [see Abstract]
[Link to abstract] [Download PDF of paper]
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ABSTRACTS
2017 CONFERENCE
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[Top]
Aiyisi
1, Surong Hasi 2,4 and Jirimutu 3,4*
ABSTRACT: Camel
is one of the “five
kinds of livestock ” that was domesticated in the early nomadic life by the
Mongolian nationality (“five
types of livestock” refers to Bactrian camel, horses, cattle, sheep and goat).
Due to its unique desert-adaptive characteristics, such as cold tolerance, thirst resistance,
salt tolerance, wind-resistant and so on, camel becomes a major livestock
species in the desert and semi-desert areas and plays an important role in the
nomadic life of Gobi Mongols. They used camels not only as tools of
transportation and trade but also used its milk, meat and wool as source of
livelihood. The “camel folklore culture” was created and passed down during the
long-term domestication and breeding process. Camel folklore culture is the
main component of the Mongolian traditional culture, and also is the main symbol
of ecological culture. The Mongolian camel folklore culture included camel
sacrificial ceremonies, camel recreational activities, camel stamps, and oral
folklore (proverb, songs, folktales). However, following the decline of nomadic
culture, a lot of Mongolian traditional lifestyle and culture is being destroyed and is disappearing. In this paper, we reviewed
the camel folklore culture of Mongolian such as riding and shooting, racing and
so on. This will let more people understand the camel culture, and call on
everyone to protect and inherit it.
Key Words:
Mongolian camel culture; camel sacrificial ceremonies; camel recreational
activities; camel stamps; camel oral folklore;
The work was supported by International S
& T Cooperation Program of China (2015DFR30680 and ky201401002); and
Chinese National Natural Science Foundation project (31360397).
CV: Aiyisi, male, Ph.D candidate.
Since Sept 2014: College of Industrial
Technology, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Major in Food
Science for Doctor's degree.
Sept 2012~June 2014: College of Food
Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University. Major in Food
Science for Master's degree.
Sept 2008~June 2012: College of Food
Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University. Major in Food
Science for Bachelor's degree. The research interests is medical effect of
camel milk.
Affiliations of co-authors
(1) Mongolian University of Science and
Technology, Ulaanbaater, Mongolia
(2) Inner Mongolia Agricultural University,
Huhhot, China
(3) Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and
Bioengineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot , China;
(4) Inner Mongolia Institute of Camel
Research, Alxa Right Banner 737300, China
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
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Roland
Auer (1), Julian A. Skidmore(2), Ursula Windberger(1)
[(1) Medical
University Vienna, Center for Biomedical Research, Vienna, Austria; (2)
Camel Reproduction Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates]
ABSTRACT: Many of a species’ or individual’s physical performances are oxygen
dependent muscle activities, where an efficient oxygen supply to tissues
directly translates into a physiological or competitive advantage over its
prey, predators or competitors within the species. The O2-transport
capacity of blood essentially depends on the available amount of haemoglobin
(Hb). Consequently, increasing amounts of Hb, and thus the amount of red blood
cells (RBC) summarised as haematocrit (HCT), lead to an increased oxygen
carrying capacity until the counter effects of increased whole blood viscosity
(WBV) and workload of the heart set in.
In
exercise physiology, the “theoretical optimal haematocrit” has proven a useful
indicator for comparison between species, breeds and even individuals. This is
where the ratio between (HCT) and WBV is at a maximum, suggesting optimal O2-transport
conditions.
We
found the theoretical optimal HCT in camel to be strikingly different from
those observed in other species, including humans. Interestingly, no
differences were observed between the theoretical opt. HCT and those occurring
in vivo for the arterial and venous flow conditions.
We
suggest that there is thus no conceivable benefit of increasing HCT in order to
enhance O2-carrying capacity to boost performance in camels.
CV: Roland Auer studied veterinary medicine in Vienna,
Austria (1989-96). Developed an interest in and became an expert in
experimental medicine, research ethics and laboratory animal science. Worked at
the Universities of Cape Town and Pretoria before continuing in the private
sector. Currently concluding PhD studies on the properties of camel blood in
response to exercise.
Affiliations of co-authors
(1) Medical University Vienna, Decentralized Biomedical
Facilities, Center for Biomedical Research, Vienna, Austria.
(2) Camel Reproduction Centre, Dubai, United Arab
Emirates
[Top]
_____________________
Doug
Baum [Texas Camel Corps]
ABSTRACT:
Camel Men of Giza in Post-Revolution Egypt is a short documentary video
that attempts to contextualize the experiences of those men working with camels
in the tourist industry on the Giza plateau in the years following Egypt’s 2011
revolution. With the downturn in tourism due to public perception of
instability these men comment on what has changed, or hasn’t, in their lives
and their business. Adding to the depth of the short video is commentary from
an Egyptian veterinarian with experience working among the camel drivers as a
volunteer in the most dire months following the unrest.
The
documentary is made up of first-person interviews with nearly a half-dozen
camel drivers, an Egyptian veterinarian, and is supported by additional footage
shot over three days in Giza both at the pyramids and in a private home.
CV:
Experience: 1997 – 2017: Owner, Texas Camel Corps. Business activities include guiding camel treks in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, India, and Chihuahuan desert of Texas.
Career achievements:
June, 2015: Presented video, The US Army Camel Experiment, at ISOCARD Camel Conference, Kazakhstan.
April, 2013: Presented paper, “The Camel Saddle: A Study” at SOAS Camel Conference.
May, 2011: Presented paper, “The Status of the Camel in the United States of America” at SOAS Camel Conference.
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
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Ramesh Bhatti [Program Director, Center for
Pastoralism, Sahjeevan, Gujarat] and Shouryamoy Das [Independent researcher]
ABSTRACT: Kutch, Gujarat has one of the harshest and
most arid of climates in the country of India. Little rainfall and saline
landscapes have, historically, afforded little agriculture; and people of Kutch
have had taken to pastoralism over generations. These pastoralists have
developed unique animal breeds that can continue to produce food, hide, hair,
wool, and generate income even in distressed conditions.
One such breed is a camel that lives on saline
vegetation and can swim in the seas. This camel breed, known as Kharai
in local parlance, is exclusively found along the western seacoasts of India, and
in some coastal areas of Pakistan. This camel breed, possibly the only one in
the world that has an ability to swim long distances in the seas, is deeply
intertwined in the cultural, spiritual, and the social lives of the herders and
the herd owners. Interestingly, in a world that is increasing getting polarized
on issues of community and religion, the Kharai camels have been traditionally
herded by a Muslim community (known as Fakirani Jats) while typically,
the owners have been a Hindu community (known as Rabaris). These
communities have followed extremely informal ways of sharing the wealth
generated from these herds for more than centuries and continue to do so.
The Fakirani Jats have adapted to the camels’
natural habitat as they spend weeks living solely on camels’ milk and milk
products at a stretch.
The number of Kharai camels has come down
drastically in the recent years because keeping these animals has become
economically unviable. Today it is only a few herders who continue to ignore
the economics of herding and carry on their traditional profession given its
religious and cultural significance. The males of the herds used to for
framing, local transport, and border patrolling, but industrialization has
replaced them with faster, fuel driven machines. Industrialization has also led
to the development of major ports along mangroves in Kutch and these industries
have both degraded and restricted camels’ access to their natural habitats.
Sahjeevan, a local ecological organization has been at the forefront of
conservation efforts to save this breed for the past 6 years, and yet a lot
more still needs to be done.
CVs:
Shouryamoy Das is an engineer by training and
has been working as an independent researcher on pastoralism for the last two
and half years. He had worked with major banks in London, Singapore, and India
before quitting work to pursue his interests in conservation and ecology.
Ramesh Bhatti has been working with Sahjeevan, a
developmental organization based in Gujarat for the last 16 years. He leads the
Center for Pastoralism at Sahjeevan and his work on pastoral breed registration
and conservation has been recognized all across India.
[Top]
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William G. Clarence-Smith [SOAS,
University of London]
ABSTRACT: The Ottoman use of camels for warfare broke with an earlier Byzantine reliance on equids. From their Inner Asian homelands, the Ottomans brought a familiarity with the bactrian camel, and tribal groups that bred them in Anatolia. The conquest of Arab lands, in the early sixteenth century, made plentiful dromedaries available. Experiments proceeded with hybridizing the two types of camel in Anatolia. While camels of all kinds mainly served for military logistics, the Ottomans also experimented with light swivel guns on camel-back, and mounted troops on dromedaries in Arabian deserts. They made use of these animals in the Balkans, where they had been rare or non-existent before, and Turkic settlers bred them there. Some Western commentators considered that camel technology contributed powerfully to Ottoman military successes, whereas others saw the beasts as ill-adapted to conditions outside Arabia, Inner Asia, and Central Anatolia.
[Top]
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Ed Emery [SOAS, University of London]
ABSTRACT: A short account of a visit to Said Sadeq, Kurdish Regional Governate, Iraq.
E-mail: [email protected]
[Top]
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John Hare [Wild Camel Protection Foundation]
ABSTRACT: An account of two releases in 2013 and 2015 of young critically
endangered wild bull camels (Camelus ferus) into the Gobi Desert which
were bred at the Wild Camel Protection Foundation’s, Wild Camel Breeding Centre
in Mongolia.
Both releases were successful and involved 8 wild camels in total. The
majority of the released camels were fitted with satellite collars which
relayed back their locations for almost 12 months.
There were, however, many incidents and difficulties involved in their release
and the overall story is interlaced with adventure, a human death, danger and
humour. This is a record of the first time EVER that wild double-humped camels
have been released into the Gobi – producing startling results. The second
release was attended by the British Ambassador to Mongolia.
CV: In 1997, John Hare founded the Wild Camel Protection Foundation, a UK registered charity – Dr Jane Goodall DBE is the Life Patron – and put forward proposals for the establishment of the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve in Xinjiang Province, China (the former Chinese nuclear test site) to which, in 2002, the Chinese government agreed. It is 155,000 square kilometres, one of the largest in the world. In 2003 it was upgraded to a reserve with national status.
In 2000 at a meeting in Beijing he persuaded the Vice Ministers of the Environment in China and Mongolia to sign a joint Letter of Intent to cooperate in saving the critically endangered wild camel from extinction
Further expeditions to the area were made in 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2011 – all on domestic camels.
In 2001/2002 Hare crossed the Sahara Desert from Lake Chad to Tripoli, a journey of 1,500 miles which lasted three and a half months to raise awareness for the wild camel. A foreigner had not followed this route in its entirety for almost 100 years.
[Top]
_________________________
Ilse Köhler-Rollefson [League for Pastoral Peoples and
Endogenous Livestock Development]
ABSTRACT: Arguably, dromedary cultures can be
classified into three types, based on utilization patterns:
(1) Multi-purpose,
where camels are used for milk, meat and transportation, without any taboos (in
Arab countries);
(2) Focus on use of
milk, with restrictions on use for transportation (Somali and Cushitic
cultures);
(3) Transportation
oriented, with taboo on use for meat (India, earlier Iran).
This paper seeks to
explain how these utilization patterns developed, by drawing on archaeological
and historical evidence. It will then demonstrate how these historically rooted
cultural attitudes determine the present fate of the camel, placing special
emphasis on the Hindu and Muslim camel cultures of the Indian subcontinent.
Although the camel has been declared the state animal of Rajasthan and the government is
seeking to conserve it as part of its heritage and as tourist attraction,
deeply ingrained taboos render this virtually impossible.
CV: Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
wrote her PhD thesis in veterinary medicine on “On the domestication of the
one-humped camel” and her Habilitation on Camel culture
and camel husbandry among the Raika in India: a contribution to the comparative
study of human-animal relationship. She has lived among
the Raika pastoralists in Rajasthan for 25 years. She is project coordinator of
the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development (LPP), and
author of two camel related books “Camel Karma. Twenty years among India’s camel nomads”
and “A Field Manual of Camel Diseases. Traditional and modern healthcare for the dromedary”.
[Top]
____________________
Mingliang
(1), Hao Sibilige (2) and Jirimutu (1) (3)*
ABSTRACT:
Bactrian camel meat is one of the main meat sources in the Gobi desert. The bactrian
camel meat has the characteristics of high protein content, low cholesterol and
fat content. It belongs to a nutritional food with rich in amino acids,
unsaturated fatty acids and minerals. While rosated whole Bactrian camel is one
of the local special food in Inner Mongolia. In particular, it is a meat
products of traditional local flavor in dietary of Mongolian people and has a
strong national characteristics. The roasted whole Bactrian camel a unique
barbecue flavor and rich nutrition, and is popular with the public. This study
began with the history of the roasted whole bactrian camel and intoduced the
traditional production process of the roasted whole bactrian camel in detail.
Furthermore, have made a preliminary discussion on the cooking process and
future prospect of the roasted whole bactrian camel. It aimed at improving
the awareness of the the protection and heritage on the local characteristics
meat, and enrich the connotation of the national food culture.
Key Words:
roasted whole Bactrian camel; fabrication process.
The work was supported by
International S & T Cooperation Program of China (2015DFR30680 and
ky201401002); and Chinese National Natural Science Foundation project
(31360397).
CV: MingLiang,
Female, Ph.D. 2016.
Sept 2011~2016:
College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural
University. Major in Food Science and Engineering for Doctor's degree.
Sept 2007~2011:
College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural
University. Major in Food Science and Engineering for Bachelor's degree. Research interests are as follows: whole genome research of wild and
domestic bactrian camels; the transcriptome analysis of different domestic
bactrian camels in China; study on the intestinal microbiology of domestic
bactrian camel.
Affiliations of co-authors
(1) Key Laboratory
of Dairy Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia
Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China;
(2) Urad Gobi Red
Camel Association of Inner Mongolia, Bayannuur, China, 015543
(3) Inner Mongolia
Institute of Camel Research, Inner Mongolia, Badanjiran, 750300, China
E-mail: [email protected].
[Top]
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Marcel Smits [European Camel Research Society] and
Dorieke Goodijk, [Koning Boer]
ABSTRACT: The expansion of intensive livestock farming resulting in large stables
(‘mega stables’) is highly contested in the Netherlands. Environmental
pollution, animal diseases, animal welfare, landscape impairment and human
health risks associated with the mega stables provoke resistance in the
population. Legislation about the construction of the stables, mostly top-down
imposed, resulted in lose of trust of both citizens and farmers.
To produce camel milk in the most animal friendly way,
the only Dutch camel dairy had to expand its camel stable to a mega stable.
Seeking a formula to create a win-win situation for environment, community and
farmer, an innovative concept (called symbiotic stable) was applied to acquire
consent of both local authorities and population.
Symbiosis is the living together of two disparate
organisms. According to the symbiotic stable concept key actors in the fields
of environment, animal and human welfare, together with local health and
education professionals and citizens, were invited for a round table discussion
group. Factors which could lead to them profit from the camel stable, were
combined with the wishes of the farmers to create a multipurpose mega stable
for camels. Successful crowd funding of additional investments for the mega
stable is the ultimate evidence for acceptation of the camel stable by society
and environment.
This bottom-up realized multipurpose mega camel
stable, the way how this was reached and the possibilities for other (camel)
mega stables will be elucidated.
CV:
Together with his son Frank, Marcel Smits established in 2006 the only
European camel dairy to date. Together with Wageningen University and Research
he carries out studies on the health aspects of camel milk. He has published
several papers on camel milk and breeding camels.
He is chairman of the ‘symbiotic stable’ control group. Furthermore he
is a neurologist and somnologist, and is head of the sleep centre of the
Gelderse valley Hospital in Ede, The Netherlands
Research funded by the control group agriculture innovation Brabant
E-mails: [email protected]
[Top]
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Ursula Windberger (1), Veronika Glanz, Christoph Dibiasi, Leon Ploszczanski, Julian A.
Skidmore (3)
ABSTRACT: The velocity of blood clot formation as well as the
stiffness and the elasticity of clots are parameters that help to identify if
an individual is more prone to bleeding or to thrombosis. We measure clot
formation in the rheometer by the increase of shear modulus G´ with time.
10 healthy non-pregnant camels (Camelus dromedarius), 10 rats
(laboratory inbred strain), and 7 human volunteers were tested. Clot formation
started through addition of CaCl2 to citrated blood.
While in rat and human, clot formation was completed after 40 minutes
(indicated by G´-plateau), in camels it preceded and did not reach a plateau,
even at +75 minutes. Clot stiffness in camels at +40min was lower than in rat
and man. Clots showed rubber-like behaviour with plastic deformation starting
at higher deformations. This indicates differences in fibrin networks. Indeed,
electron microscopy showed that the fibrin network in camel clots was less
dense compared to human clots.
We conclude that the kinetic of clot formation as well as the degree of
cross-linking of fibrin fibers in camels differ from other mammals. Camel clots
are more elastic but need longer time to reach final stiffness. Maybe, camels
are more prone to bleeding than to thrombosis.
CV: Ursula Windberger:
Education: DVM at Veterinary University Vienna, Austria (1987), BSc
(chemistry) at University Vienna, Austria (2012). Habilitation (1999) in
“experimental surgery“ at Veterinary University Vienna. Diploma in traditional
chinese medicine (phytotherapy, 2007), Vienna School of TCM, Austria.
Job history: private veterinary practitioner in own praxis (companion animals;
1990-2003), research fellow (1987-1998), assistant professor (1998), associated
professor (1999) at MedUni Vienna, head of animal house (2005-2009, as well as
current position: Decentralized Biomedical Facilities, MedUni Vienna, Austria)
Current research: rheology of biological and technical materials,
material research, rheology of blood, biopolymers and filled epoxy resins.
More information: www.rheology.at
Affiliations of co-authors:
(1) Decentralized Biomedical Facilities, Medical University Vienna, Austria
(2) Institute of Physics and Materials Science, University of Natural
Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
(3) Camel Reproduction Center, Dubai, United Arabic Emirates
[Top]
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For further details of the conference, please write to the
conference organiser at
[email protected]
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Memories of previous conferences: See the album of the two Bactrians visiting SOAS in 2013:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/soas.su/photos/?tab=album&album_id=642600329088036
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Last updated: 9 August 2017