Last updated on May 13th, 2023
45. In 2009, the Reproductive Biology Center in Dubai produced the world’s first cloned camel. She successfully gave birth to healthy babies. Established by the crown prince, the facility clones dozens of racing champions, top milk producers, pageant winners, and treasured pets.
Military Applications
46. The Roman Empire stretched to Syria. Lacking soldiers and horses, officials recruited men from the provinces and gave them camels, as these are suited to desert terrain. The Dromedarii auxiliary unit excelled in combat because enemy horses fled after sensing the foul camel scent.
47. In 547 BC, Cyrus the Great led the Persians to victory against the Lydian Kingdom. Cyrus used baggage camels to shield his archers. When the enemy attacked, their horses scattered upon smelling the camels, allowing Persian archers to shoot them at will.
48. In 1856, the US began importing camels for Southwest military expeditions. Funding stopped when rumors linked the project to a pro-slavery plot by Jefferson Davis, who later became the president of the Confederacy. The outbreak of the Civil War led to the abandonment of the US Camel Corps, with the animals sold at auction.
49. In 1916, Britain established the Imperial Camel Corps. It fought in Sinai and Palestine during World War I. An Egyptian unit also supported the British army, using camels to send military supplies across the desert.
50. In 1942, the Soviets in Southern Russia faced a horse and truck shortage. They solved the problem by using local camels as draft animals. They continued using these long after moving out of the region, eventually reaching Berlin.