Camels are breeding at the Zoo!
Dromedary Camel, Camelus dromedaries
In mid February, the Zoo received a male camel with the intention of breeding with two of our females. He has until late April to get to know his female companions; we are very hopeful that these two females will become pregnant.
Camels typically breed from January to May. Male camels come into what is called “rut” which is another way to say that he is ready to breed. During rut, males become very aggressive towards other males; they secrete a bad smelling substance from glands on the back of their heads and will inflate the back portion of the roof of their mouth and push it outside the mouth. None of these things sound very attractive, but thankfully the girls are still interested in him.
The camels are breeding in an off exhibit yard, but when the girls aren’t with him you can see them on exhibit in Australia. Camel gestation period is approximately 12-13 months, and they typically have one calf. Come out to the zoo and see our beautiful girls, and make sure to check back next spring to see if we have any new little camels running around the yard.
Rebecca Prewitt, Discovery Zone Animal Supervisor
