You have probably seen camels on the TV, and possibly at a zoo. They are unusual looking animals with big bodies and legs that look too thin to support them. Are camels the prettiest animal you have ever seen? Possibly not. This view is not shared, however, in the Middle East where you will find a one-month celebration of the camel – which includes a camel beauty competition.

This month there is another story about camels and it comes from Saudia Arabia in the Middle East. Deep in its sandy desert, a festival is held each year to celebrate the camel, the country’s national icon. This year, it was moved closer to the capital city of Riyadh, so more people could attend. The festival lasts for one month and 30,000 camels take part.

One of the highlights of The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is its beauty contest. It’s not a contest for humans. Far from it. It’s a beauty contest to find the most beautiful camel and it is taken very seriously. Competition judges have to review each entrant’s delicate ears, full nose, droopy lips and long neck very carefully – as well as its two humps. Owners have been known to apply hair spray to their camels and give them massages. But they cannot go too far. There are very strict rules that prevent camels from being given performance drugs or having their hair shaved.

So, what is the fuss about? Can’t a man or woman take time to admire a beautiful camel if they want to? The fuss centres around the prize money. When you read exactly how much this is, you may decide to find your own camel, just as Emanuel Belilios once did. The first prize of the Camel Beauty Competition is 20 million Saudi riyals. That’s nearly HK$250 million! With that kind of money, you could buy your own home on The Peak!

And there is yet more to this story. Some camel owners have been so eager to win the competition, they have been cheating. What’s worse, they have been caught. Twelve camels were disqualified after receiving injections to their lips to make them look more attractive. It is believed that if a camel has full, thick lips, its chances of winning are greater. Organisers also found that one vet had been offering owners plastic surgery, not for themselves, but for their camels.

We think this story is nearly as interesting as the one about Emanuel Belilios. We only hope the losing camels are not tempted to jump from a high place.

Question:

Witness a camel beauty competition

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