Introduction
Camels are highly valued animals in the UAE and other Gulf countries, where they are used for racing, beauty contests and milk production. To meet the demand for elite camels, some owners are willing to pay a hefty price to clone their best specimens. Camel cloning is a delicate and complex process that involves transferring genetic material from a donor camel into an egg and implanting it into a surrogate mother. The result is an exact copy of the original camel, with the same appearance and traits.
Image by Wolfgang Inderwies
The history and science of camel cloning
The first cloned camel was born in 2009 at the Camel Reproduction Centre in Dubai, which was set up by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, more than three decades ago. The cloned camel, named Injaz, was created by Dr Nisar Wani, who now works as scientific director at the Reproductive Biotechnology Centre. Since then, Wani and his team have cloned dozens of camels every year, using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer. This technique involves taking DNA from “somatic” (or non-reproductive) cells taken from the donor animal being cloned. These donor cells' nuclei are inserted into an egg and chemically activated. According to Wani, "the DNA from the somatic cell starts functioning like the DNA of an embryo." Before being placed in the uterus of a surrogate mother, they are cultivated in a lab for seven to eight days after being activated. The offspring were born with all the genes from a donor animal. Wani claims that the procedure is difficult and temperamental, with only 10% of cloned pregnancies succeeding, compared to the 60% of naturally occurring camel pregnancy that is carried to term.
The benefits and challenges of camel cloning
Camel cloning has several benefits for owners who want to preserve or enhance their camels’ qualities. Cloning can help replicate rare breeds of camels or produce genetically modified camels for medical purposes. Cloning can also help create copies of camel “beauty queens”, with the right combination of drooping lips and long necks, or elite racing champions, who can compete in the UAE’s many camel races and earn thousands of dollars in prize money. Cloning can also provide comfort for bereaved camel owners, who can get a replica of their deceased pet from stored cell samples.
However, camel cloning also poses some challenges and ethical issues. Cloning is an expensive process that can cost up to $50,000 per camel, according to reports in the local press. Cloning also raises questions about animal welfare and biodiversity, as cloned animals may suffer from health problems or genetic defects. Cloning may also reduce the genetic diversity of camels, as fewer natural camels are bred.
Other techniques for producing elite camels
Besides cloning, there are other techniques that are used to produce elite camels in the UAE and other Gulf countries. These include embryo transfer, where an embryo is harvested from one female and implanted in another, and artificial insemination, where sperm from a male camel is injected into a female. These methods can increase the reproduction rate and genetic diversity of camels. They can also help improve the traits of camels, such as milk yield or speed.
Conclusion
Camel cloning is a big business in Dubai because it offers a way for owners to get exact copies of their prized camels, with the same appearance and traits. Camel cloning is a complex and delicate process that involves transferring genetic material from a donor camel into an egg and implanting it into a surrogate mother. Camel cloning has some benefits, such as preserving rare breeds or producing genetically modified camels for medical purposes, but it also has some challenges and ethical issues, such as high cost, animal welfare and biodiversity. Camel cloning is not the only technique that is used to produce elite camels; other methods include embryo transfer and artificial insemination. Camel cloning and breeding are popular not only in Dubai but also in other Gulf countries where camels are highly valued animals.
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