New video on our channel: How a camel survives heat of +75°C and frost of -30°C. How many pastures per camel? What diseases do camels get?

Camel breeding for beginners. Camel breeding in Kazakhstan is a serious business , not just a hobby. This video covers key questions for aspiring camel breeders.
Expert: Dastanbek Asylbekovich Baimukanov, camelid specialist and renowned Kazakhstani scientist. Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, and Honorary Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

⚡️ In this video:
✔️ Where is the best place to breed Bactrian camels, and where is the best place to breed single-humped dromedaries?
Bactrian camels can be successfully bred throughout Kazakhstan, southern Russia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Single-humped camels, however, were previously recommended only for the southern regions, where it's hotter. But now we see that in the Zhetysu region, dromedaries thrive even in temperatures ranging from -30 to +35 degrees Celsius. This was a pleasant surprise for scientists.

✔️ How do Kazakh Bactrian camels walk on scorching sand and tolerate the heat?
They have soft pads on their feet that can withstand temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius (133 degrees Fahrenheit). If the sand gets even hotter, up to 75 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit), the camel simply sits on its calluses and waits for the heat to subside. They have a large callus on their chest that can easily withstand such heat.

✔️ How do camels cope with the cold?
They lie quietly on cold ground, but avoid snow and ice—their fur absorbs moisture, making them uncomfortable.

✔️ How does a camel's nose help conserve water?
The structure of the nasal septum resembles a honeycomb. This is necessary to conserve water. When a camel inhales hot air, it passes through these honeycombs and cools to 35 degrees Celsius before entering the lungs. When exhaling, the moisture is trapped in these honeycombs, and the air released is practically dry. Thanks to this, a camel can easily go without drinking for up to three weeks.

✔️ Why can't camels be given water from open rivers?
Natural bodies of water are full of parasites, such as horseflies and botflies. They carry dangerous infections, such as trypanosomiasis, which is very difficult to treat. Botflies also lay their larvae under the skin or in the nasopharynx, causing suffering and poor climate conditions for the animals . It's better to breed them in the steppes and solve the water problem artificially.

✔️ Do camels need shearing?
Shearing is a must! If a camel starts shedding on its own, it will lick and swallow the wool, which will clog its stomach and intestines. Shearing is stressful because of the noise of the clippers, but it's a necessary procedure.

✔️ Do camels get human diseases?
Yes, we share many common illnesses, such as tuberculosis. The infection can spread from camels to humans and vice versa. Therefore, everything used in human medicine is 100 percent suitable for camels.

✔️ Is it true that camels are very smart?
They are intelligent animals. A camel, especially a Kazakh Bactrian, will never abandon a person in need. If their owner is ill or lost, the camel will sit down, wait for the person to sit between its humps, and will 100% bring them home. This is more than instinct; it's loyalty to a friend.

✔️ Can a mother camel adopt another woman's baby?
They have a very strong maternal instinct. There was a case where a mother camel rescued her baby from a pit, but she suffered broken bones and was slaughtered. Her baby was left an orphan, and another mother camel, who had her own baby, came and adopted it, feeding it with her milk.

✔️ Why don't Kazakhs like to show off their baby camels?
We're afraid of the evil eye. Camels under nine months are very sensitive. Extra human presence causes stress for the mother, which is passed on through milk . The baby's immunity weakens , and even a mild cold can kill it.

✔️ Is it true that camels can cry?
They cry out of grief or despair. For example, when they lose a baby. Or when they feel like they're being taken to slaughter—they understand everything, say goodbye to their fellow camels, and genuine tears flow. It's a very heartbreaking scene.

✔️ How does a camel eat a thorn without getting hurt?
Camel thorns are a delicacy to them. They take them in their mouths, carefully place them in their mouths, chew them, and regurgitate them after 25-45 minutes to chew them again. Their saliva contains enzymes that help digest them. If the food is very dry, they moisten it with saliva several times.

✔️ How much space do camels need?
A single head requires 16-20 square meters of corral space. However, camels are grazing animals , requiring at least 25 km of grazing space per day for normal metabolism. For a large-scale operation, 20 hectares of pasture per head is ideal.