Jelly Baba
I once knew a remarkable Bactrian camel, named Jelly Baba.
His wooly winter coat was thick and black. From the day of his birth, his heart was warm and open. And his nature was always curious and playful.
In the warmer months, when the oaks had leaves, he often reared tall on hind legs, to grab hold of tree branches that were otherwise beyond the herd’s reach.
The other camels contentedly stood nearby, watching admiringly.
Then, with delight, they would swarm all around him, vacuuming the surplus shaken leaves and fallen branches into their mouths.
Jelly Baba, as one of the tallest members of the herd, was impressive in this rearing activity, as well as in most things he did.
Here are some photos of his generous antics…
This kind of activity is rare among camels, although not completely unique.
It was something Jelly Baba did of his own volition.
He wasn’t trained to rear up like this.
Please Note: If anyone wishes to train their camels to rear up, be warned that doing so could seriously endanger spine and joints. So, if at all, definitely wait until the camel is a fully-formed adult (6+ years), and is strong in bones, muscles, and joints.
If this kind of thing occurs at too young an age, it will likely result in serious injury.
Jelly Baba
There is also a famous wild elephant named Fred, at Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, who frequently rears up on his hind legs to reach for high branches…
Here is Fred doing his thing !
You might also be curious to check this out: A book partly devoted to camels, and to camel-herd-culture. It has considerable camelid content, and some other “odd stuff”. 🙂
Lightning Thunder Cows
And other Amazon outlets…
Envisioning Fearing No More 