Newborn camels debut at Minn. Zoo

The two Bactrian camel calves, born to different mothers, weighed 98 pounds at birth.

By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Last update: April 10, 2009 - 12:13 AM

Two critically endangered Bactrian camel calves are making their public debut this morning at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.

Females Samara (born March 13) and Sarah (born April 2) both weighed 98 pounds at birth.

Their public exhibition was delayed, zoo officials said, to ensure that they were gaining weight, nursing and able to maneuver around their exhibit.

The calves, who have different mothers, were born after a gestation period of 13 months.

Female camel calves usually gain 3-5 pounds per day and will reach adult size (2,200-2,400 pounds and 8 feet tall) in three to four years.

Bactrian camels are among the few animals native to the Gobi desert. Long eyelashes and closeable nostrils protect their eyes and lungs from blowing sand.

Their humps store fat, allowing them to survive with little food for extended periods of time. Bactrian camels have two humps rather than the single hump of their Arabian relatives.

Bactrian camels spend their time in groups of up to six in search of food and water.

Suffering from habitat loss and domestication, there are fewer than 1,000 in the wild.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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