An all-purpose animal

A camel plows a field in Tunisia
FAO/11188/F. Botts

In many pastoralist communities in arid regions, camels are versatile and hardy working animals. As a pack animal, a mature camel can carry 200 kg of cargo for five to eight hours and cover 25 to 30 km a day. They can also be harnessed to plough fields, and in some areas they are used to turn sesame oil presses.

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More photos on camels:
  • Syria: The head of a one-humped camel, or dromedary
  • Mauritania: A herd of camels being milked
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