Camel’s types and wool
A. Taxonomically, the camelids are divided into 2 genera
- Lama and sp. as (L. pacos, L. glama)
- Camelus and sp. as (C. dromedarius, C. bactrianus, C. ferus). The ferus is wild
B. We can divide camels into 2 main categories (based on their fiber quality and purposes of production)
- Old-World Camelids (Arabian camel and Bactrian camel): Mainly for work, riding, sport, milk, meat, skin, and fiber. The wool is coarse
- New-world camelids (Llama and Alpaca): Meat, wool, work etc. The wool is fine
The Old-worlds Camels’ Wool
Among the Old-world camels, the dromedary has mostly coarse wool (tent & rope and Bisht wool), except the camels in very cold areas (having more fine wool, especially the calves). Tent & rope and Bisht wool meaning, the wool is mainly used for making tents, ropes, and Bisht (mostly by nomadic people).
In this article, my main focus is the Dromedary wool. The main use is making the tents and ropes by the Beduins communities as the camel wool is very strong and doen’t absorb moist, so remain ligheter in weith. Bisht is made from camel wool that is spun and woven into a breathable fabric.
The Bactrian Camel Wool
The Bactrian camel wool is also categorized as fine wool, especially their calves’ wool is tremendously fine. Mongolia is leading in the Bactrian camel wool business and many fabrics are crafted by camel wool. You can read about the important features of the Bactrian camel wool in the following link.
Bactrian Camel Wool Production
The Dromedary Camel Wool
In the dromedary camel in its original habitat (Arabia, Saharan, and Sub-Saharan Africa, Horn of Africa, South Asia, Persia, and Central Asia) sheds its wool naturally at the start of the summer season as the wool grows faster in winter and making a densely woven blanket that is difficult to separate or sort out.
As camels have protective outer coats of coarse fiber (grow up to 15 inches). The fine, shorter fiber of the insulating undercoat (grow up to 1.5–5 inches), is the product generally called camel hair, or camel hair wool, making a dense fur to minimize moisture evaporation from camel body and protecting from the cold waves in winter.
Camel hair beautification and dressing
Different tribes of camel keepers have different cultures related with camels in many different and unique places of the world. Camels’ innate beauty is accentuated in the Indian subcontinent by cutting their hair. The camel’s hair is styled to resemble a stunning work of art on its body. Some camel societies have a tradition of clipping contests wherein skilled weavers create exquisite artwork using the wool of the live camel. In the Great Thar Desert (India and Pakistan), these kinds of civilizations are quite alive. Art of Camel Hair Shearing~The Camels’ Attraction
Unique Idea of Camel Wool Consumption – A Mulching Agent
These days, with so many synthetic products made in China, camel wool’s use as a fabric (tent, rope, and Bisht) is low. In the early summer, a lot of camel wool is strewn out close to the camel farms. In the desert, the organically knitted woolen coat is seen tangled in various shrubs. The country is seeing an increase in tunnel farming, and the necessary organic materials, such as peat, are being imported from other places. This has led to another positive development known as the Modern Food Production Revolution. One of the most crucial steps in reducing water loss and shielding just germinated plants from pests and harsh weather is mulching. The finest material for mulching can be camel wool because it minimizes evapuration, conserves water for the plants, and naturally breaks down over time to give the plants nutrients due to its organic nature. NPK and other vital nutrients for plants are abundant in camel wool. It can shield plants from pests and take the place of synthetic fertilizer.
In order to achieve the best results, camel wool is utilized as a mulching agent in Alain, United Arab Emirates, as seen in the following photos.
