Dromedaries (Arabian camels) in a zoo on a tropical island only for people to ride on them? Talk about modern day slavery, that sure sounds absurd and inconvenient for these animals. A camel’s body is adapted to the incredibly harsh conditions of the Earth’s arid regions. A dehydrated camel can drink 27 gallons in 10 minutes while any other creature would die of overhydration if it tried to drink that much. Quite unique and special, aren’t they? These animals like living in herds. Then why are we making them live alone and away from their habitat for which they were adapted to live in so well?
Wild camels are sadly endangered. The only true wild camels left in the world is a small population of wild Bactrians in the Gobi region of Mongolia and China. Ever since the wild Bactrian was domesticated, it has been forced to breed with the dromedary camel which is a cause of concern. Human beings kept using animals for there own benefits. Displacing these animals from their natural habitat will make these animals adapt to a new lifestyle. As a result, they will lose their ability to cope in their natural habitats and these genes will be passed on to new offspring which could lead to extinction.
The same goes to the near threatened white rhinos at Casela. Zoos claim that they protect species from extinction. Logically and morally, you must know that zoos simply make money out of these animals because a zoo cannot replicate natural habitats. Animals lose there natural insticts of foraging and their behavioural needs are not meant by the caregivers. We should be able to discern between zoos and wild life sanctuaries or National parks where one uses the animals for our entertainment and the others strive to protect the species.
If you ever wish to encounter a camel or any other alien species, we would advise you to book a flight and see them for yourselves in their natural habitats instead of supporting their captivity in zoos.