Most Beautiful Camel Contest in Abu Dhabi, UAE

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the Most Beautiful Camel Contest in Abu Dhabi, UAE, drawing comparisons to other animal beauty contests and exploring various perspectives on camels and the desert environment. The conversation touches on cultural perceptions, personal experiences in desert regions, and interactions with animals in captivity.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express confusion over the appeal of one-humped camels compared to two-humped camels, suggesting a humorous take on their differences.
  • Several comments reflect a negative view of the Middle Eastern desert landscape, describing it as a "miserable desert wasteland," while others share positive experiences from visiting desert areas like Death Valley.
  • Participants note the physical characteristics of camels, such as their eyes and eyelashes, while also mentioning their tendency to spit.
  • There are humorous remarks about the potential for a lingerie competition in the camel pageant, with a nod to cultural sensitivities regarding animal attire.
  • Discussions arise about the extreme heat in desert regions, with anecdotes about personal experiences and the challenges of staying hydrated.
  • Some participants share stories about interactions with animals at an animal park, highlighting both the enjoyment and risks involved in handling wild animals.
  • Concerns are raised about the safety of interacting with wild animals, emphasizing the importance of respecting their nature and the potential dangers involved.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion contains multiple competing views regarding the appeal of camels and the desert environment, with no clear consensus on these topics. Participants express both admiration and criticism, leading to a variety of perspectives without resolution.

Contextual Notes

Some statements reflect personal opinions and experiences that may not be universally applicable. The discussion also includes anecdotal evidence regarding animal behavior and safety, which may depend on individual circumstances and interpretations.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in cultural events, animal behavior, desert environments, or personal anecdotes related to wildlife and nature may find this discussion engaging.

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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — It is the Arab world's answer to the Westminster Dog Show — a camel beauty pageant. Nearly 20,000 one-humped hopefuls are about to compete for the coveted title of most attractive camel in the world. [continued]
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,346168,00.html

I just don't know what they see in those one-humpers. Besides, the two-humpers come with air bags.
 
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Arg, the ME looks like a miserable desert wasteland. I can't stand all that sand sand sand.
 
That's Hot.
 
They have such pretty eyes and eyelashes. But they spit up a storm.
 
Cyrus said:
Arg, the ME looks like a miserable desert wasteland. I can't stand all that sand sand sand.
I like the desert. A few years ago I took the family to Las Vegas and from there took a day trip to Death Valley. Quite nice.
 
jimmysnyder said:
I like the desert. A few years ago I took the family to Las Vegas and from there took a day trip to Death Valley. Quite nice.



Well, you're kind of lucky Death Valley in the USA is restricted to one state. In Iraq it seems to be the whole country.

I am seriously baffled by what I see but I imagine that a Middle Eastern person of such upbringing would be baffled by most western ideas too.
 
jimmysnyder said:
I like the desert. A few years ago I took the family to Las Vegas and from there took a day trip to Death Valley. Quite nice.

But is it insanely hot? A friend of mine was a marine. He said you would take two huge bottles of water out with you. By the time you finished the first bottle the second bottle was too hot to drink ~120F.
 
He should have taken 3. That way, he could drink 2 bottles and then the last one would get hot.
 
Evo said:
They have such pretty eyes and eyelashes. But they spit up a storm.
There is an animal park not far from here, and when we visit, we take food for the animals. The camels absolutely love corn on the cob and apples, but when they see the food, they get so drooly, that I just hand the bag to the owner, and let him feed those rascals. His black bears take food from his mouth, and he is particularly chummy with some of his big cats, although some of the cats that he rescued as adults are too unpredictable to approach. I've got to take my cameras there this summer and get some pictures. When we visited last time, my wife and I and another couple rode in on Harleys, and brought mostly vegetables, apples, etc. While we were there, a fellow and his teen-aged son showed up with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and packages of chuck steak as donations. The tigers and lions really loved the steaks!
 
  • #10
There's not a lingerie competition in this pageant, is there? :rolleyes:
 
  • #11
Math Is Hard said:
There's not a lingerie competition in this pageant, is there? :rolleyes:
Because of religious sensitivities, the camels have to wear thongs (at a minimum) and veils.
 
  • #12
Cyrus said:
But is it insanely hot? A friend of mine was a marine. He said you would take two huge bottles of water out with you. By the time you finished the first bottle the second bottle was too hot to drink ~120F.
We stopped in Stovepipe Wells. It was 124F, but with the wind-chill factor it was 125F. I tried to pour some water from a pitcher into a glass, but the glass never got wet.
 
  • #13
turbo-1 said:
There is an animal park not far from here, and when we visit, we take food for the animals. The camels absolutely love corn on the cob and apples, but when they see the food, they get so drooly, that I just hand the bag to the owner, and let him feed those rascals. His black bears take food from his mouth, and he is particularly chummy with some of his big cats, although some of the cats that he rescued as adults are too unpredictable to approach. I've got to take my cameras there this summer and get some pictures. When we visited last time, my wife and I and another couple rode in on Harleys, and brought mostly vegetables, apples, etc. While we were there, a fellow and his teen-aged son showed up with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and packages of chuck steak as donations. The tigers and lions really loved the steaks!

The owner should be more careful. When you start thinking you can be chummy with wildcats, that's about the time you're in the news for being mauled by one of them. We had a semi-local woman in the news recently who was mauled by a leopard in a sanctuary she ran, and after she's out of the hospital, she's right back working with them again. It's just plain stupid. You can admire the beauty of the animals without losing respect for their wildness. They aren't just over-sized house cats.
 
  • #14
All they need now is background music by the Black Eyed Peas, "My Humps".
 
  • #15
Snazzy said:
All they need now is background music by the Black Eyed Peas, "My Humps".

:smile:

my humps
my humps
my lovely lady lumps

:smile:
 
  • #16
Cyrus said:
But is it insanely hot?

Bald guys can fry bacon on their heads.
 
  • #17
Another friend of mine was telling me about how the US soldiers were told NOT to shoot the camels when they were based in Kuwait. It was a $1Mil USD fine if they did.
 
  • #18
Moonbear said:
The owner should be more careful. When you start thinking you can be chummy with wildcats, that's about the time you're in the news for being mauled by one of them. We had a semi-local woman in the news recently who was mauled by a leopard in a sanctuary she ran, and after she's out of the hospital, she's right back working with them again. It's just plain stupid. You can admire the beauty of the animals without losing respect for their wildness. They aren't just over-sized house cats.

I think the only reason my cat hasn't mauled me is that she's just too small to inflict significant damage. Otherwise, I'd be toast. I think some problems with getting close to wild animals are due to lack of domestication, and some are just due to pure scale.
 
  • #19
Moonbear said:
The owner should be more careful. When you start thinking you can be chummy with wildcats, that's about the time you're in the news for being mauled by one of them. We had a semi-local woman in the news recently who was mauled by a leopard in a sanctuary she ran, and after she's out of the hospital, she's right back working with them again. It's just plain stupid. You can admire the beauty of the animals without losing respect for their wildness. They aren't just over-sized house cats.
He has raised some of these animals from babies, and he goes into their enclosures every day to keep them socialized.

He has rescued some animals from pretty awful situations. One of his black bears is really small. Her previous owner had been using her at fairs, etc, charging people for the opportunity to pose with her and have their pictures taken. Once an animal like this reaches a certain weight, they can no longer be legally used for this purpose, so the owner starved her to keep her small. The guy who runs the animal park is very considerate of her and is sensitive to her health. He says she'll never get much larger than she is now (about 1/2 the size she should be) because her growth was stunted during a critical part of her development. He hand-feeds her every day to make sure that the bigger bears don't hog her food. They are all in the same enclosure so they can socialize, but when it comes to food, the big guys will crowd out the little one if they can.
 
  • #20
turbo-1 said:
He has raised some of these animals from babies, and he goes into their enclosures every day to keep them socialized.

And that's what the local woman was doing too...with those types of animals, even if born in captivity, they are at best tame, not domesticated. As MIH points out, it can simply be their size that makes them dangerous...a playful swat can inflict major harm. It is better to realize they are wild animals and put in proper safety measures to allow one to provide food and care without entering the pens with the animals freely roaming in them. They should be socialized with others of their own species, not humans (it can be even more dangerous if the animal is overly comfortable with and unafraid of humans...if they get out or something happens, they won't have the normal fear reaction to run away from the human, but instead are more likely to approach and hurt the human, again, even if just by trying to play).
 

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