Article by AFP and ALISHA BUAYA FOR MAILONLINE
Published: 13 July 2019 13:18
1k shares. 62 comments
Sudan's camel trade industry has remained steady part despite the nation's recent political upheaval that saw Omar al-Bashir ousted after three decades of ruling the country with an iron fist.
Traders from across African nation descend daily on the El Molih camel market, in the city of Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum, to buy and sell herds of the desert animal.
Some camels are sent to slaughter houses for meat, while superior breeds are exported to Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates to take part in multi-million pound races.
Camel traders from across Sudan descend daily on the El Molih camel market, in the city of Omdurman, west of the capital Khartoum, to buy and sell herds of the desert animal.
Transporting the animal is a difficult task for the traders who have to use a mobile crane to move them on to trucks.
Photographs for a recent market day shows camels being harnessed to a crane with its front and hind legs bound to restrict its movement.
The desert animals are then carefully lifted to the back of rigs bound for Egypt, Israel or Gulf nations.
The camel's legs are bound together to restrict its movement while it is being lifted up by a crane that is moving it to the back of a truck
The desert animals are then carefully lifted to the back of rigs bound for Egypt, Israel or Gulf nations
The price of each camel depends on what purpose the animal is sold for. Some camels are sent to slaughter houses for meat
A camel sold for meat can be sold between 60,000 to 90,000 Sudanese pounds (£1,058 to £1,587)
The price of each camel depends on what purpose the animal is sold for.
A camel sold for meat can be sold between 60,000 to 90,000 Sudanese pounds (£1,058 to £1,587).
But the camels destined for racing in the Gulf nations can be sold for as much as 1.5 million Sudanese pounds (£26,447) each.
Superior camel breeds are exported to Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates to take part in multi-million pound races
Camels destined for racing in the Gulf nations can be sold for as much as 1.5 million Sudanese pounds (£26,447) each
In this image a herder tends to a camel with its legs bound, ready to be board to the back of a truck after being sold
A camel is pictured sitting on its bound legs as another camel behind it growls at one of the herders as it is being lifted by the crane
Herders pictured here adjust the harness straps around a camel before it is lifted on to the back of a truck
Following al-Bashir's ousting in April, many camel traders have been oblivious to the country's biggest political upheaval in decades.
Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed, a camel seller, said: 'With or without Bashir, this country is just the same for us.'
'All we are interested in is whether the price of livestock goes up or down,' he added.
In this image a herder (pictured in the centre) ducks for cover as a grumpy camel fights the crane lifting it up in the air, while another camel tries to buck its legs
A herder watches on as another angry camel tries to fight the crane as it lifts it up in the air to be boarded on the back of a truck
A camel tries to free itself despite its legs being bound
Ali Habiballah, 52, another camel trader, said: 'What protests? We have all that we need in the desert -- water, food and livestock, we don't have any demands.'
His son added: 'We don't care about politics. I don't even go to Khartoum.'
Sudan was first rocked by a political crisis since December 19, when protests erupted against the tripling of bread prices by the then government of Bashir.
A camel trader sits on the hump of a sitting camel at El-Molih camel market
Seven camels are on show by this trader looking to sell the herd
[End of article]
THE MAJORITY OF THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS POSTED AT THE ABOVE U.K. ARTICLE ONLINE ARE FROM THE U.K.
- Feel really sorry for some of those camels, some very underweight and visible scars. It must be frustrating for them to have their legs tied up and made to stay in that position unable to escape their situation and no food or water. Then to be lifted up like that must be very frightening and stressful, poor animals.
- Horrible people. Animal abuse is sin.
- Poor creatures.
- That's cruel breaks my heart.
- Grumpy? The animals would be distressed and terrified. These people are impervious to the feelings of animals, they always have been.
- Most of those poor wretched creatures will be slaughter in the most inhumane way, camel meat is common in that part of the world.
- Dont get the hump. Thats pretty awfully considering thier horrible fate. Scummers.
- They will be slaughtered for food the ritual Halal way. ...they will suffer more fear & pain..
- This makes me so sad. We are the most horrible creatures on the planet.
- Indeed we are.
- Look at the way their legs are tied. You'd complain, too if someone all but hog tied you. Poor things.
- Trussed up like a dead turkey and then craned onto a lorry I'd be pi ssed off too!
- That's So Cruel. Those creatures are so beautiful. That picture broke my heart. It looked so painful too
- The way we treat animals on this earth is appalling. Re: dog meat festival (story I could not read), bull fighting, rhinoceros poaching, etc.
- The way they treat human beings why would anyone expect anything different for camels?
- This awful practice and bad animal treatment in general often governs the camel trade. The animals are can be obstinate and mean spirited; theyre strong and have lots of endurance, so theyre hard to *govern.*. Theyre seen as commodities like our pickup trucks, so the cranes seem like the right thing to resort to. This is a country where male overseers use whips on women farm workers if theyre perceived to be picking too slowly. I think the camels got the better deal.
- Ever heard of a ramp? They could have walked onto the truck themselves.
- Deplorable.
- Grumpy? Might have something to do with having their legs tied. Or just being starved and tortured in general. I might be a tad grumpy myself.
- I have a feeling this animal will be extinct soon, this is cruel.
- This is barbaric! Horrific treatment, it makes me sick.
- Notice ALL THE SCARS on these animals...they have really been through it! Poor things!
- These people have ZERO respect for Animals, women and children...abusing all. It's so disgusting.
- These animals take 2 hours to die when ritually slaughtered.
- They have no feelings for animals ...if the animals can't work or be eaten they have no use for them.
- This is disgusting. Please dont use these camel rides. You are contributing to their cruelty.
- Poor poor creatures - I cannot believe the DM can make light of this with a bad pun for a headline? You should be ashamed of yourselves.
- Camels are awesome gifts from God that are a benefit to the people.
- This is horrific and not a joking matter DM. Those poor camels. It's abuse. Change the headline. It's not funny.
- Disgusting! This is animal cruelty, plain and simple!
- Why is this allowed to happen??
- Animal cruelty alive and well all around the world. Disgusting.
- Poor camels! I'm not surprised that they look so unhappy, tied up then thrown about like rubbish. These are living creatures for god sake!! :(
- Heartbreaking. Animal cruelty makes my blood boil.
- Is this supposed to be a funny article?? Some of those animals look underfed and ab.used. The only animals in the pictures are the handlers. Too many outdated articles by the Mail in recent days. Did they pull this article from the 80s archive?
- Seen what happens to them and it's awful.
- This is horrible. PLEASE if anyone does go abroad for any reason, NEVER ride camels or elephants or any other tourist animal transport like donkeys, asses or mules etc.. These animals are rarely looked after, cruelly treated with beatings and often deprived of sufficient medical care, food and water. Just use your feet or hire something with wheels not legs. There is no excuse these days, in the age of the internet where such cruel practices can be easily be researched, to ride living transport in ignorance of the truth. Never go to other entertainments involving use of animals either (e.g, circuses, races or elephant polo etc.) or give money to anyone using an animal as a prop to beg either (e.g, snake charmers, harnessed monkeys etc.) The more you do your bit to stop fuelling this industry the more likely the locals will need to make their money differently.
- Absolutely disgusting those poor animals!
- Thats awful! Poor camel looks in great distress.
- The straps are evenly spreading the weight out. These camels are fine.
- I imagine that's rather painful & frightening to those poor camels. Get it together people!
- Send peta over there see how they do compared to protesting chicken plants If no one caught it those are going to food processing.
- Poor things.
- Mobile crane? Your lack of knowledge and good journalism astounds me. Free lesson: it's a loader with a fork attachment.
- The media celebrates this atrocious behavior.
- This is horrific. They aren't "grumpy", they are terrified!!!!
- Poor animals.
- They are not grumpy they are terrified, why report it this way? Just plain cruelty and abuse
- Feel really sorry for some of those camels, some very underweight and visible scars. It must be frustrating for them to have their legs tied up and made to stay in that position unable to escape their situation and no food or water. Then to be lifted up like that must be very frightening and stressful, poor animals.
- You'd never ever get away with treating farm animals like that here (although God knows they did long enough in UK and IRL)(live exports a total disgrace as well). Don't know why we tolerate it elsewhere in countries with whom we do biz.
- DO NOT be so nave, farm animals are treated appallingly her and everywhere else !!!
- This is awful!
- Dreadful cruelty. Poor camels!
- That's terrible poor things.
- Cruel practice.
- Camel doesn't look too happy.
- So much suffering !
