Friendicoes Camel Project India, Quarterly January- March 2024 update
Because of your heartfelt support, treatment for injuries have been provided to the camels in the care of our partner Friendicoes’ Camel Sanctuary, in Jodhpur, India.
With Rajasthan still experiencing terrible drought, camels are left to fend for themselves by their owners. However, you have made possible the care that Friendicoes can provide to them when they would overwise be neglected.
With a total of 38 camels in care, 15 camels are housed inside the Sanctuary, while 23 camels stay in and around in the surrounding area monitored closely by a caretaker also funded by AAA. These free ranging camels are brought to the Sanctuary, when they need treatment or have injured themselves otherwise they are allowed to graze and walk as that keeps them in better health.
Five camels are nomadic and appear as and when they haven’t been able to source food.
Main problems
The main problems these camels experience and treatment they received for this past quarter:
Mange
Lameness
Eye problems
Hump sores
Foot injuries
Nose ring (Nakel) injuries
Mange
The most common problem of camels in this area.
Animals becomes restless, scratching their body on thorny trees. This leads to scab formation on skin.
Treatment: Injection ivermectin given subcutaneously is effective in controlling this. Some camels have also to be given medicated baths.
Eye injury
Rescued from the nearby village after being abandoned. The injury is due to harness pulling across the eye. Eye is infected because it was left untreated and after heavy pus discharge, camel was abandoned.
Treatment: Cleaned with water, eye ointments applied and covered with bandages.
Treatment ongoing
Corneal opacity
This was an old injury to the eye probably caused by a hard object.
Treatment: Rescued and presented with an Opaque cornea. Eye cleaned with NS, eye drops applied and now in our permanent care
Harness injury
Caused by improper halter
Scratch wound on head
Treatment: Ointment applied
Nose ring (Nakel) injury
Nakel injury to nostrils is also a very common feature as the camel riders are very rough with the camels and the hurt is akin to spiked bits in horses. Most of our rescued camels have maggots and infected wounds in their nostrils.
Some extreme cases develop maggots which eat away the delicate flaps that protect them from dust storms frequent in these deserted parts.
Treatment: Wound cleaned with antiseptics and ointment applied
Back sores:
Camels are used over winter to give children and tourists rides. Improper padding leads to formation of wound on Back.
Treatment: Wound cleaned with antiseptics and dressed.
Leg injury
Leg injury by sitting on rough surfaces.
Treatment: Wound cleaned with antiseptics and dressed.
Lameness
Overwork
Treatment: Pain killers given, supporting crepe bandaging. rest and retirement at the Sanctuary
Medical help provided to surrounding village camels. We feel this is the most positive impact of the program, allowing locals to bring their camels to Gopal for treatment.
We here at Animal Aid Abroad want to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of our generous donors for these results. You are giving these camels a chance to recover from mostly preventable and callous injuries.