ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in London, England has welcomed a pair of dromedary camels into their family recently. The two Bactrian camels were born within 48 hours of each other.
The first calf was born on the 10th of March. He was given the name Olaf as he was quite unsteady on his feet for the first few days of life much like the famous snowman from the hit Disney movie Frozen. Orlagh soon joined him.
Donovan Glyn, Team Leader at the zoo said, “A little unsteady on his feet at first, Olaf seems reassured to have a camel companion his own size to explore with. Orlagh is a much more confident personality, and it’s been good for Olaf to have her around, showing him how things are done and generally just being a bit braver.”
“The baby camels will wean at about three months but they’ll follow their mums around for a lot longer than that, and they’ll both grow up within the same herd, so it’s good news that they seem to get along,” added Glyn.
Wild and domestic Bactrian camels are found in Asia with most in China and Mongolia. Here they are classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Luckily the Zoological Society of London who manages Whipsnade Zoo is working to save the Bactrian camel from extinction by running conservation projects. They also work in association with the National University of Mongolia on the projects.
Bactrian camels are distinguished from the dromedary camel which lives in the Middle East and Africa as they have two humps.
Photo Credit: Whipsnade Zoo
