CAMELS IN THE SAHARA

The work of the Imuhar (Tuareg) nomads is organized by a gender-specific division of labor. Imuhar women manage the herds of goats, while men take care of the herds of dromedaries (camels). But compared to the goat, the dromedary is not a major resource for subsistence, especially in the south of Algeria, which is not ecologically well-suited to the maintenance of large dromedary herds (Keenan 1977:120). Imuhar nomads mainly sell goats to the sedentary Algerian population in the surrounding villages. They sell dromedaries only sporadically and they represent a kind of savings account for them (Fischer 2008:81).



According to the labor division among the Kel Ahnet nomads, a sub group of the Imuhar (Tuareg) in Algeria, have three categories of dromedary (camels; Camelus dromedarius) – for milk production, transport and riding.

MILK AND BREEDING DROMEDARIES
The Imuhar (Tuareg) nomads of the Sahara own herds of female dromedaries, their calves and one bull-dromedary. Dromedary breeding is a slow process, since the she-dromedary gives birth to only one calf every two years. They normally mate during the cold season, and the she-dromedary has to lie down for copulation, so the act of mating may pose some difficulties for the bull. At night the herds of breeding dromedaries stay close to the tents of the nomads, who bind up the right forelegs of the in-heat she-dromedaries during the night. This brings the she-dromedary to lie down and facilitates the act of mating for the bulls, which is normally seen and heard by the whole group of nomads in the camp. Imuhar generally prefer white dromedaries for breeding.
Mother dromedaries are milked twice a day. The milk is drunk and not used for making butter or cheese as in the case of goat milk. Kel Ahnet nomads tie a cord around the forelegs of the calves, which is then fixed in the soil near the tents while the mother dromedaries roam freely in search of pasture. In this way, unlike the pack dromedaries, the mothers are also bound to the camp.

PACK DROMEDARIES

Imuhar use castrated dromedaries for transport, while female dromedaries are generally not used for this purpose. If nomads do not need their pack dromedaries, they are hobbled with a short rope between their forelegs, freely grazing in the surrounding area.
But even with a hobblerope the pack dromedaries can roam far in good grazing conditions, and one of the nomads’  greatest chores is recapturing the runaway pack and riding dromedaries. Although the nomads use bulls of any color and size, they prefer strong, heavy animals with especially large feet.  

DROMEDARIES FOR RIDING


These are almost always castrated male dromedaries, because they are calmer than uncastrated ones, which are said to be very fierce and dangerous. Ideally dromedaries that are ridden should have a relatively short body and be deep-chested and tall with small feet and slender limbs (Nicolaisen/ Nicolaisen 1997:119). The most popular animal is a white, long-legged dromedary for riding, called the ebaydag. Like men, women also prefer to ride an ebaydag.
Animals that are really suitable for riding are occasionally sold for five to six times the price of a normal dromedary. In the past, dromedaries that were ridden were important in conducting raids. White animals were presumed to be the dromedaries for raiding troops par excellence, so an ebaydag can also be associated with a thief or raider (Ritter 2009: 399).
Imuhar nomads do not have pure mast-dromedaries for meat production, and they rarely kill their own dromedaries to eat them. Even very old dromedaries fetch high prices in the marketplace and nomads prefer the money to eating their old dromedaries. Only at weddings is it common to eat dromedary meat, which is rather tough and must be boiled for several hours to be eatable. Nomads slaughter dromedaries that have had an accident, and then it is common to share the meat with neighbors. Not only the meat is of use, they even work the skin of the animal to make straps, whips etc.
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THE AESTHETIC REQUIREMENTS OF DROMEDARIES

The most popular dromedary for riding is the ebaydag.
This white, long-legged dromedary is what I would call the “red Ferrari” of the nomads. The red Ferrari, like every expensive car, has an almost universal image of exclusiveness, class, prestige, and elegance. In Europe, in addition, it has the image of speed, vitality, potency and power, emphasized by the color. In Europe, they are owned by mostly men, and the car is often used to draw attention to the masculinity of the driver.
The ebaydag is the Imuhar’s most expensive dromedary, which both men and women prefer to ride and even to own. Primarily, an ebaydag has to be long-legged, male and white. Generally, Imuhar prefer white to black, the reasons for which are complex. Basically, their perception of white and black can symbolize the juxtaposition between good and evil. White often has a positive while black is often has a negative connotation (Drouin 1987:84; Fischer 2011).
The Imuhar mark and improve their white ebaydags, branding them with various signs. These signs or brands are sometimes found on the flank, the neck or on the heads of the animals. Two parallel lines, for example, stand for the group of the Kel Ahnet nomads, and added lines or points identifying the family it belongs to. Another artificial sign for a dromedary that can be ridden is a copper ring fixed to the right nostril to fasten the reins.

Moreover, the nomads boost their dromedaries by modifying their bodies. Mainly for aesthetic reasons, they make cuts on the bridge of its nose and the resulting scars appear as small bumps. There may be just one bump, but mostly a line of three. A hanging fold of skin under the chin also augments its beauty. These body decorations raise the value of the animal and make it much easier to recognize. They represent the engagement between individual owners and their means of transport. Women, similar to men, will own an ebaydag if they can afford one. But both sexes like to have these body forms depicted on their ebaydag, so one cannot see if the owner is a man or a woman simply by looking at its body. For this information one has to scrutinize the dromedary’s tackle.
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THE EBAYDAG AS A SIGN OF SOCIAL PRESTIGE  

The Imuhar have feelings for dromedaries and there are strong emotional bonds between ebaydag and their owners. Unlike other domestic animals, dromedaries have a high social and emotional worth and they are creatures which display affection and are regarded as good-natured by Imuhar nomads. Interest in dromedaries and the notional value of the ebaydag is much higher than its actual intrinsic worth.
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Chapters from the article/ further information in:

Anja Fischer
The Saharan Dromedary as a Sign:
The Prominence of Dromedaries among the Nomadic Imuhar Society in the Algerian Desert,
In
Eva-Maria Knoll / Pamela Burger (eds.)
Camels in Asia and North Africa
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on their past and present significance
2012, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna

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