HOW DO YOU MOVE A 2000 LB BULL CAMEL?
VERY CAREFULLY!
The telling of this story is long over-due. I believe I will have to tell it in installments as we are so very busy right now but check back... I love this story!
It is the story of Goliath, aka Boo-boo who joined the Oasis Camel Dairy February 5, 2008. The story reminds me to never assume anything and always expect the unexpected. It is also a tale of motivation: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things when the situation calls for it.
Late in January, my husband Gil got a phone call from a gentleman in Palm Desert California (near Palm Springs) who was looking to sell a young bull camel.
To those of you considering camels for fun and profit: Bull camels do not hold much value. If they are untrained and un-castrated, they are way more animal than even seasoned animal handlers want to deal with.
The Oasis Camel Dairy has a bull "on staff" who is quite reliable and very good at his job! This year, he produced five females and two male calves. We were definitely not in the market for another bull.
But the man's story intrigued Gil. The young bull had an interesting history and something about the camel, his story and the man telling it prompted Gil to offer a deal.
Purchased by a Palm Desert neighbor four or five years ago as a petting zoo baby, this camel grew and grew to be a friendly yet unruly teenager. As he grew he successfully broke through corals and eventually property fences. His current owner acquired him just this way: the powerful camel had broken through to his property. Rather than try to round him up and bring him home, the original owner decided to transfer ownership and wave goodbye to his problem. His new owner corralled him for a few years; using lots and lots and LOTS of food as a means to keep the growing boy happily contained.
Still a bull camel, the owner decided it was time to find this boy a new home. That's were we came in.
Although we did not need a new bull or for that matter, a new gelding we promised to come and get the untrained young bull camel, have our veterinarian castrate him, evaluate and train him. This was his best chance for a bright future.
On February 5th, just a few hours after Jasmine was born, Gil, Hal and I loaded up the big camel trailer and headed out to Palm Desert. Our spirits where bright. We were ready for an entertaining excursion to meet a silly young camel. I remember asking Gil as we pulled out of the driveway, "how big is he?"
Gil didn't know. But he speculated, "well, he is four or five so he can't be any bigger than Ali-baba." (one of our five year old geldings) Ali baba is a slight youngster. Gelded at one year old he is taller than a five year old little bull should be. Since camels don't really get girth until after their sixth birthday, we anticipated using a bucket of grain and a little good old fashion muscle to coheres, push and manipulate the little bull into the trailer for the easy ride home.
Two hours later, as we pulled up to the main gate of the property, our synchronized gasps of disbelief must have been audible clear back at the dairy! Cushed (laying down) in a chain-link-fenced paddock four hundred yards ahead of us, a giant mountain of a camel relaxed chewing his cud, massive jaw muscles rippling over the crown of his monster sized head with each calm, rhythmic motion.
This camel was a very, VERY BIG seven or eight year old bull. Untrained, unschooled and unafraid of anything and anyone. We were about to get the education of a lifetime as we met Camel, (that's what they called him) and tried to figure out how to get him into a trailer; a trailer he was quick to show us, he wanted nothing to do with!
The telling of this story is long over-due. I believe I will have to tell it in installments as we are so very busy right now but check back... I love this story!
It is the story of Goliath, aka Boo-boo who joined the Oasis Camel Dairy February 5, 2008. The story reminds me to never assume anything and always expect the unexpected. It is also a tale of motivation: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things when the situation calls for it.
Late in January, my husband Gil got a phone call from a gentleman in Palm Desert California (near Palm Springs) who was looking to sell a young bull camel.
To those of you considering camels for fun and profit: Bull camels do not hold much value. If they are untrained and un-castrated, they are way more animal than even seasoned animal handlers want to deal with.
The Oasis Camel Dairy has a bull "on staff" who is quite reliable and very good at his job! This year, he produced five females and two male calves. We were definitely not in the market for another bull.
But the man's story intrigued Gil. The young bull had an interesting history and something about the camel, his story and the man telling it prompted Gil to offer a deal.
Purchased by a Palm Desert neighbor four or five years ago as a petting zoo baby, this camel grew and grew to be a friendly yet unruly teenager. As he grew he successfully broke through corals and eventually property fences. His current owner acquired him just this way: the powerful camel had broken through to his property. Rather than try to round him up and bring him home, the original owner decided to transfer ownership and wave goodbye to his problem. His new owner corralled him for a few years; using lots and lots and LOTS of food as a means to keep the growing boy happily contained.
Still a bull camel, the owner decided it was time to find this boy a new home. That's were we came in.
Although we did not need a new bull or for that matter, a new gelding we promised to come and get the untrained young bull camel, have our veterinarian castrate him, evaluate and train him. This was his best chance for a bright future.
On February 5th, just a few hours after Jasmine was born, Gil, Hal and I loaded up the big camel trailer and headed out to Palm Desert. Our spirits where bright. We were ready for an entertaining excursion to meet a silly young camel. I remember asking Gil as we pulled out of the driveway, "how big is he?"
Gil didn't know. But he speculated, "well, he is four or five so he can't be any bigger than Ali-baba." (one of our five year old geldings) Ali baba is a slight youngster. Gelded at one year old he is taller than a five year old little bull should be. Since camels don't really get girth until after their sixth birthday, we anticipated using a bucket of grain and a little good old fashion muscle to coheres, push and manipulate the little bull into the trailer for the easy ride home.
Two hours later, as we pulled up to the main gate of the property, our synchronized gasps of disbelief must have been audible clear back at the dairy! Cushed (laying down) in a chain-link-fenced paddock four hundred yards ahead of us, a giant mountain of a camel relaxed chewing his cud, massive jaw muscles rippling over the crown of his monster sized head with each calm, rhythmic motion.
This camel was a very, VERY BIG seven or eight year old bull. Untrained, unschooled and unafraid of anything and anyone. We were about to get the education of a lifetime as we met Camel, (that's what they called him) and tried to figure out how to get him into a trailer; a trailer he was quick to show us, he wanted nothing to do with!
NEXT INSERT:
Hey man, want to see my cool camel bite?
To find out more about the Oasis Camel Dairy visit us at our official website: http://www.cameldairy.com
Labels: bull camel, camel, giant camel, loading camel
posted by Nancy @ 12:01 PM
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