Bactrian Camel

The Bactrian camel, also known as the Mongolian camel or the two-humped camel is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of central Asia. They have two humps on their back, in contrast to the single-humped Dromedary camel. Most of the 1.4 million Bactrian camels alive today are domesticated.

These animals are superbly adapted to life in the desert. They have a double row of extra-long eyelashes, hairs in their ears, and can close their nostrils to prevent damage during sandstorms. Large feet spread wide to allow them to travel efficiently through the sandy desert, and their thick woolly fur allows them to remain warm in -40°C winter temperatures. They moult their thick fur during spring and summer when the temperature begins to rise.

Bactrian camels breed successfully in captivity, usually giving birth to one calf after around 13 months. Young calves are precocial meaning that they are usually capable of walking and running within a few hours of being born. Calves are fairly large when born weighing on average 36kg. They are nursed for 1.5 years and usually stay with their mothers for between 3-5 years when they reach maturity.