• 9964432222
  • Mail Us
  • Appointment
  • Locate Us
  • Chat Now
  • Courses
  • Login
  • Register
Manifest IAS
JournalsOfIndia
Manifest Learning Academy
  • Home
  • SNIPPETSfor Prelims
  • ARTICLESfor Mains
  • BROWSEBY SOURCE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • SNIPPETSfor Prelims
  • ARTICLESfor Mains
  • BROWSEBY SOURCE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result
JournalsOfIndia
No Result
View All Result
Home Environment

Kharai Camels

March 30, 2021
in Environment
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Kharai Camels
6.7k
VIEWS
Share on WhatsAppShare on TelegramShare on Facebook
image_pdfMake PDF

In news : Rapid industrialisation in Gujarat threatens the mangroves that kharai camels and their nomadic herders depend on

About Kharai Camels

  • Known as kharai camels, their name is derived from the local word khara, meaning saline.
  • Location: Kutch, a coastal region of Gujarat, which is also a large desert land, has two camel breeds. One is the popular Kutchi breed and the other, the Kharai breed, native to the region. 
  • The Kharai breed has the special ability to survive on both dry land and in the sea, making it an ecotonal breed.
  • Recognised as a separate breed a few years ago by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources(NBAGR), the Kharai camel is probably the only domesticated breed of camel that lives in dual ecosystems. 
  • NBAGR also certified the breed as ninth camel breed found in India, separating it from Kutchi camel.
  • Feeding: Kharai camels are known to feed on mangroves on the island off shore. And to eat this salty marine food, they sometimes swim for hours

Its unique abilities

  • These camels have a special ability to swim in seawater and feed on saline plants and mangroves, which is how they get their name, Kharai (‘salty’ in Gujarati). 
  • Their gently padded hooves help them navigate the wet and salty coastal land with ease and they can swim up to three kilometres (1.8 miles)
  • During the rainy season, they swim along the Gulf of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian Sea, to small forest islands and graze on mangroves and other saline-loving plants.
  • They are also known as dariyataru (meaning sea-swimmer). 
  •  They have adapted to the extreme climate of the desert, shallow or deep-sea waters, and high salinity.

Population: 

As per latest counting, the state has 6,200 camels out of which around 2,200 are found in areas such as Lakhpat, Abdasa, Mundra and Bhachau in Kutch whereas the remaining are seen in South Gujarat near Aliya Bet.

Threats: 

  •  Industries in Kutch–salt, thermal power, cement and shipyards, among others–pose a huge threat to the dwindling mangroves. 
  • Most of these industries require constructing jetties in the sea, which results in the cutting down of mangroves that are fodder for the Kharai camels. 
  • The increase in salinity throughout the region and the growth of industrial activities has minimised the availability of camel food and water sources

Conservation status:

  • IUCN: Endangered 
  • WPA 1942- Schedule I
image_pdfMake PDF
Source: The Guardian & The Hindu
Tags: News PaperPrelims

Related Posts

Great apes

Great apes

April 29, 2023
Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change

Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate Change

April 27, 2023
Piezometers

Piezometers

April 25, 2023
State of the Global Climate report by WMO

State of the Global Climate report by WMO

April 22, 2023
The Coalition of Coastal Cities to Combat Marine Litter

The Coalition of Coastal Cities to Combat Marine Litter

April 21, 2023
Supercritical carbon dioxide(SCD)

Supercritical carbon dioxide(SCD)

April 20, 2023
Toque macaques

Toque macaques

April 20, 2023
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

April 19, 2023
Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence

April 19, 2023
What is heatstroke?

What is heatstroke?

April 18, 2023
Please login to join discussion
JournalsOfIndia

Our vision is to orient the readers to grasp the facts objectively and analyse critically. In the rush of reaching first to the readers, the websites miss the balanced opinion, which is the need of the hour. We aim to reach the readers with more crispness, preciseness and relevance. We bring the articles in UPSC way for the civil services aspirants and the Wisest Way for general readers.

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Disaster Management
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Ethics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Geography
  • Governance
  • History
  • Law & Policy
  • Opinion
  • People in News
  • Places in News
  • Science & Tech
  • Security
  • Society
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Browse by Tag

AIR All India Radio BBC Business Line Business Standard dow Down to Earth DownToEarth DTE Economic Times ET FAO Financial Express GS-1 GS-2 GS-3 GS-4 Hindustan Times IE India & the world Indian express Indiatoday India today Kurukshetra Livelihoods portal LiveMint Mains News Newspaper News Paper PIB Prelims PRS India RSTV Science Reporter Survey The Hindu The India Express The Indian Express The Print the wire Times of India TOI TOPPERS Yojana

Newsletter

The most important UPSC news and events of the day.

Get Journals daily newsletter on your inbox.

© 2020 JournalsOfIndia - A free initiative by Manifest Team.

  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • SNIPPETS
  • ARTICLES
  • BROWSE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result

© 2020 JournalsOfIndia - A free initiative by Manifest Team.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In