kazakh camels

“Rich is the one who has a camel” used to be a popular proverb in Central Asia. Camels used to have an essential role in the life of nomads in different ways: as working animals (pack, harness, riding) and as a source of milk, meat, wool, and leather. Nowadays the use for transportation is insignificant and camels are now animals for mostly tourism with the exception of camel milk production being very much alive and even gaining popularity.

Camels are perfectly adapted to the semi-desert climate, so it is beneficial to breed them in the Kazakh steppes. Kazakhs have long considered the camel to be the most important animal whereas Kyrgyz value horses more. No physical force was ever used on these creatures as the camel is considered a sacred animal. They can stay without food for months and are able to wander and not drink for 40 days. Therefore, they are called “oysyl”, translated into tough or patient.

For thousands of years, the camels were the main working pack animals in the nomadic pastoralist household of Kazakh ancestors. Particularly in deserts, this animal with its qualities like patience for water, courage and strength, was the main helper of man. They carried the caravans with goods, cultivated the lands and even extracted the water.