New Camel Sanctuary in India Continues to Thrive
Our wonderful AAA donors have been fundamental in establishing a much-needed camel sanctuary in Shaitrawa, Jodhpur.
Friendicoes set up this sanctuary last year with help from AAA and it is now staffed by three people pictured below: head caretaker, Gopal; supporting staff member, Phool; and local assistant, Jaswant.
The sanctuary staff have achieved multiple goals in the past three months, including constructing a water trough, rescuing a camel named Sultan, welcoming a new baby called Baghira and treating 20 camels for various health issues. A group of intrepid AAA travellers also visited the sanctuary to see the amazing progress firsthand!
Please read on to learn more about the sanctuary’s ongoing development and how your generous support is assisting many beautiful camels in this region of India. . .
The dedicated team recently constructed a new water trough for the camels, which is tiled to prevent water loss. As you can see, the camels love their fancy new drinking trough!
A medicine stock cabinet and staff resting shed were also added to the sanctuary.
A group of AAA supporters and members travelled to India in January and were lucky enough to visit the camel sanctuary and meet the special residents in person.
The AAA group delivered an animal stretcher to the Friendicoes team. This can be used to transport any camels who are unable to mobilise.
Another resident called Sultan has now joined the camel sanctuary. He was rescued from Kota, Rajasthan, after being abandoned. Poor Sultan was suffering from severe mange, so the team started treatment immediately.
During the first week, Sultan was unable to stand up on his own. A hydraulic crane was arranged to lift him manually. Thankfully, Sultan is now responding well to ongoing treatment and proper care.
The sanctuary also welcomed a gorgeous baby calf in January. His mother, Laxmi, was rescued last year. The calf has been christened Baghira.
Friendicoes’ vet team also provided treatments for many camels in the village surrounding the sanctuary, including:
Various wound dressings,
A leg wound caused by fencing wires,
Treatment for an eye injury caused by harnessing,
Treatments for nose ring injuries.
Friendicoes are continuing to issue plastic nose pegs to camel owners to replace old wooden ones. They are planning to distribute 100 in Jodhpur alone.
They also saw many cases of mange, which unfortunately afflicts many camels. Signs and symptoms of mange include becoming restless, scratching and scabs forming on the skin.
To treat the mange, Friendicoes administered ivermectin injections to 70 animals. Some camels also received a medicated bath. Staff will repeat these treatments as and when required.
Running this peaceful sanctuary and assisting other camels in the village would not be possible without your compassionate donations. We cannot thank you enough for your ongoing support and for believing these gentle giants deserve lives filled with tranquility, respect and love.