Two visiting global camel experts have been left stunned by the sheer size and sophistication of the Australian camel industry.
Doug Baum, Texas Camel Corps, and Valeri Crenshaw, North American Camel Ranch Owners Association general secretary, completed a three-week tour of Australian camel farms and businesses, finishing with a memorable ride on the Australin record team of 32 camels harnessed to a wagon.
Mr Baum described the 32 camel Australian team as not only record setting but a herculean effort on an industrial scale.
“This has been off the charts for us. It has been a three-week trip ending with the Good Old Days Festival, and saving the best till last,” he said.
The US group comprised nine camel owners or enthusiasts from Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Alabama and California.
“This was going to be a no-brainer about trekking for five days through rural Australia pulling a wagon – there was no push back to that whatsoever,” Ms Crenshaw said.
“We are seeing draft animals and skills that are not really on display every day all over the world anymore.”
Ms Crenshaw conceded the Australian trip was conceived over a few glasses of wines between old friends.
“This was a good idea that started over a year ago. We have watched your festival on social media for years.
“We had been sitting at home dreaming of what it looked like in person as it looked fabulous on social media. So we said let’s just make it happen.”
When it came to rating Australian camel expertise on a global scale, Valeri and Doug admitted the Aussies were at the top.
“The envy is strong, and with good reason, not only do you have in our estimation some of the top cameleers on the planet,” Mr Baum said.
“When you consider the camel has been domesticated for 5000 years and Australia has a 180-year history with it, you guys have fast tracked it.
“Australia has truly capitalised on this resource in every way possible from milk to meat, labour power and recreation.
“That is not true of every other camel culture in the world – many cultures don’t eat their camels, many milk but they don’t ride, or they pack but they don’t wagoneer.
“Australia does it all and they do it on an industrial scale.”
Mr Baum said Afghan cameleers created a springboard for the modern cameleers to take advantage of, respect and acknowledge.
“It’s a real testimonial to the attractiveness of the Good Old Days Festival and Australian camel culture we were able to rally the size of the group we did.”
Ms Crenshaw was impressed with the humility and humbleness of the Australian cameleers, enabling them to learn off each other.
“It is a bit like train the trainers here and we have people who will go home to put their learning into practice.
“The accessibility to the animals and experts has been amazing. We could have been sitting in the bleachers but here we are literally helping them harness up.
“We are already trying to plan a trip for next year.”
Mr Baum runs a dozen camels and his business name is a nod to the USA’s military history with camels. He travels to schools, national parks, libraries and museums with his camels educating people on the nation’s camel history.
“In Australia, private enterprise imported 10,000 camels between 1840 to 1900 while our government was responsible for our camel flirtation in the 19th century importing 75 camels,” he said.
“There were commercial importations that eclipsed the government’s, but we may have roughly 300 camels brought into the US in the 19th century.”
Ms Crenshaw has six camels on a farm based in Kansas and has spent the past six years committed to building a livestock association dedicated to camels.
“We aim to bring people together, educate the public, our members and camel owners on camels, work with the government and to promote the dairy, fibre and recreation industry.”
The US has a camel population of 8000 owned by hobbyists and full-time farmers, including 12 camel dairies.
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Caption: The visiting US camel owners and enthusiast with their Australian hosts. Image Kim Woods