Camel business benefits from science

Murdoch University scientists are poised to forge new scientific frontiers through a cross-cultural collaboration based in the desert sands of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Up to 1000 camels, with some individuals worth up to $8 million, will be accommodated in the new personal camel racing facility for H.H. The President Sheikh Khalife Bin Zayed al Nahyan.

The Murdoch team, including veterinary anaesthetist Dr Peter Gray and forensic geneticist Dr Peter Spencer, has been invited to contribute its expertise towards the expansion of the facility, designed to draw on the best modern science can offer.

The project will see veterinarians, geneticists and agricultural scientists from Murdoch team up with camel experts at the Scientific Centre for Racing Camels at Al Ain.

The Al Ain facility is primed to become a centre for groundbreaking research in camel health.

Director of the Al Ain centre, veterinarian Alex Tinson, said the camels were ideally placed to become “the new livestock animal” as countries like Australia become hotter and drier from global warming.

Under Dr Tinson’s direction, the 20-year-old centre will complete construction of new facilities for diagnostics, embryo transfer, surgery, exercise physiology and food production and analysis.

Dr Gray will work together with Dr Tinson to develop systems for prolonged anaesthesia for the camel surgery, raising the bar for anaesthetic techniques for camels and training UAE veterinarians in these methods.

The coorpoerative project will also draw on the advice of Murdoch University’s digestive diseases expert Dr Guy Lester, veterinary studies Associate Professor David Murphy, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture Nick Costa, veterinary nurse Sue Smith and Dr Spencer for forensic genetics.

Camel racing in the UAE and Qatar alone is worth $US1billion every year.

Today the Australian published ‘Scientific ships of desert’ on page 2 and ‘Livestock of the future has hump’ online, revealing the big business of camels in the UAE.