General information :

An animal with only one hump, the dromedary (camelus dromedarius) is perfectly adapted to the hot desert climate ; it is therefore the preferred riding or working beast found in the Middle East, in North Africa, in India, in Pakistan, in Australia, in California, and in times past even in Texas .

The camel, animal with two humps, is found essentially in Central Asia and in the south of Russia .

There are about 15 M dromedaries in the world, of whom 12 M are in the Arab countries, particfularly in Somalia (5,4 M), in Sudan (3 M), in Mauritania (718,000), in Saudi Arabia (614,000), in Iraq (232,000), in Tunisia (205,000), and in Morocco (200,000).

Tunisia has four types of dromedaries :

• From the south : light, beautuful animals, fast-moving and good mounts.
• From Nabeul : heavy and majestically slow, beast of burden and source of milk.
• From the Sahel : mid-weight animals, used principally for milk.
• From Kairouan : identical to those found in Algeria and Morocco , they are used principally as a source of milk.

Characteristics :

• Great source of animal protein (milk and meat)
• Milk production is 2-3 T de lait every 305 days
• Rare and easily treated ailments
• Survives on semi-desert and arid area flora
• Can cover 7-10 kms per day, in other words, can walk the distance between Kairouan and Sousse (60 kms) in six hours.
• Can carry 230 kg for three days without drinking.
• Great capacity to endure hunger and thirst under extreme desert conditions.
• Source of skins and fur for production of leather goods and clothing. Great variation in body temperature, 6,6 on average.
• Its kidneys work in inverse order. If water is abundant, its kidneys work normally. If water is scarce, the kidneys extract water from its urine, and recycles it to the body.
• Can live normally even with a 40% reduction in body weight ; other animals die arfter a loss of only 10-20%.
• Can survive up to 10 months without drinking if it has access to green fodder or grazing.
• A dromedary weighing 350 kgs can drink up to 110 litres of water

Meat :

gaoud :  young dromadary ( 1 year old) 150- 180 kg

*Less cholesterol than beef : mg/g - against 86,0 mg/g pour cows.

*Greater source of protein than beef (21,14) against (19,51)

*Greater source of protides than beef (1,72) against (1,52)

*Greater digestibility than beef (76,3) against 74,1.

Camel's Milk :

• Contains an agent (immuno globulins) that increases the immune system of humans
• Has 2,9% fewer fat than all other milks
• Contains more protein (4,45 ) than cow's milk (3,40)
• Is rich in vitamine A, B et particularly C (3 times more than cow's milk)

It has been used since ancient times to cure numerous ailments of the liver, intestines, stomach. Its beneficial effects on the brain and nervous system as well as its role in preventing diabetes and bad cholesterol are well known locally.

Can be kept loger than other milks without refrigeration, 48 hours as compared to 12 hours for cow's milk, and for 12 days at 4 degrees Celcius as compared to only 36 hours for cow's milk.

THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITIES OF DROMEDARY MEAT ARE COMPLETELY BIO AND VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THOSE OF BEEF AND CHICKEN.

In Kairouan where beef was not a meat consumed just 50 years ago, some brave butchers preserve the tradition of butchering dromedaries at Draa Taamar on the outskirts of town on the road to Tunis. The authors of this web site celebrate that fact. Let lovers of dromedary meat enjoy it; they won't regret their choice

Mohamed Rebai
info@kairouan.org