Discover the True Cost of a Camel: A Comprehensive Guide to Camel Pricing
Camels have been domesticated for nearly 3,500 years and are essential in many cultures. These cultures even measure their wealth according to the number of camels they own. If you are reading this article, you probably want one for yourself, and you are interested in the price of a camel. That’s what we intend to do, give you an insight into the value of camels across the globe.
Found in Northern Africa and southwestern Asia and introduced to Australia, this pack animal can withstand harsh desert conditions and carry large loads (up to 25 miles a day). Besides their endurance and use for transportation, Camels are valued for leather, meat, milk, wool, unique looks, loyalty, and affection towards their owners.
According to National Geographic, the crucial question you should ask yourself before buying a camel is one or two humps, referring to the type of camel you are looking for. Once you have the answer the rest is easy! Just compare camel prices and start bidding. To help you find the one that matches your requirements and budget, we have created a list of camel prices by country and species. Read on and find out how much is a camel.
How Much Does a Camel Cost? Cost of a Camel by Country
The cost of a camel depends on different factors like the camel’s country of origin, breed, age, sex, and training. Generally speaking, if you intend to buy a camel you need to have between $100 and $22,000 (depending on the country). The average camel price in the US is from $10,500 to $15,500 according to ThePricer.org, while in Australia you will have to pay way less around $2,160 (due to its presence in the country). So, to have a more informed answer to the main question “How much is a camel?” we need to review the cost of a camel by country and species. Here’s our list of countries along with the cost of a camel in each of them:
- USA: camel price between $5,500 and $25,000;
- Australia: camel price between $200 and $10,000;
- Sudan: camel price is between $100 and $2,600;
- Egypt: camel price is between $200 and $1,700;
- United Arab Emirates: camel price is between $800 and $22,000.
1. How Much is a Camel in the USA?
If you look at other sources on camel selling prices other than ThePricer.org like the Daily wildlife you can see that the selling range of a camel is even bigger and it’s between $5,500 and $25,000. Distributed mainly on private farms in the US the camel selling price differs and is closely connected to the camel’s breed, age, and sex:
- The price of a 10-month-old dromedary baby camel is between $5,500 and $10,000;
- The price of a 5-year-old dromedary bull is around $12,500;
- The price of a hybrid dromedary camel is around $7,000;
- The price of a few-month-old Bactrian female camel is from $16,000 to $25,000.
If you compare the camel prices in the US from ThePricer.org and the Daily wildlife statistics the average price for a camel in the US is around $14,000. The camels in the US are quite expensive because they are not easily available and are usually imported from other countries which adds to the final price of the camel.
2. How Much is a Camel in Australia?
According to the Australian Northern Territory Government Information, wild camels can be found in over 37% of mainland Australia. Australia is home to over one million wild camels, therefore the camel prices are way lower than the ones in the US. Two years back on an online auction a group of 93 Arabian camels was sold for a price of $230 each.
In colonial Australia camels were used for transport, and today Australians keep them as pets or farm animals, and the number of camel owners has increased over the years. Whether you want to buy a camel for meat, milk, racing, or as a tourist attraction be prepared to set aside between $1000 and $2000 if you buy one from a reputable breeder in Australia. Again the camel price is based on the camel’s breed, age, training, and other factors. Because of the camel overpopulation in Australia, you can buy a camel for even less:
- The price of a younger camel is $930;
- The combined price of a 5-year-old female and a 16-months-old male is $1,400;
- The price of 3-year-old female camel is worth around $320;
- The price of a rare pure-bred white camel is $8,000 to $10,000.
3. How Much is a Camel in Sudan?
According to the Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations (FAO), Sudan has a camel population of 4.5 million heads. By 2025 the expected growth of camels in Sudan is more than 5.4 million. Sudan is the biggest exporter of camels and home of El Molih, the biggest camel market in the world located approximately 100 km from downtown Khartoum.
At El-Molih, just like the other camel markets, camels are sold for various purposes, and the price varies depending on that purpose. Looked after master breeders and a team of herders from a young age camels are sold here for meat, milk, racing, and more. The price of the camels sold for meat is between 60,000 and 90,000 Sudanese pounds, while the price of camels for racing can reach 1.5 million Sudanese pounds. Converted to dollars that would be from $100 to $151 for the ones for meat and $2519 for the ones for racing. According to an article on the National News dating from a few years back a racing camel was sold for a staggering $70,000. As the camel racing business is becoming more popular, and more camels win local races their price goes even higher with every winning race.
As you can see, to get as closer as possible to the answer on how much is a camel in Sudan, you need to be as specific as possible on the purpose of your camel purchase.
4. How Much is a Camel in Egypt?
If you want to see how much is a camel in Egypt you have to visit the Birqash camel market, one of the biggest markets for camels in all of Africa. While in Egypt book a private Camel market day tour in Cairo on Friday to experience the lively atmosphere at the Birqash Camel Market just 35 km outside Cairo. The market is open from 7 am but most of the trading happens before 11 am. Hundreds of camels brought from Sudan are sold at this market in Lower Egypt from 7,000 EGP to 10,000 EGP (the price of a young Sudanese camel between 4 and 9 years old) or from $227 to $325.
Another big camel market is the Daraw market, located in Upper Egypt. Besides the camels brought from Sudan at Daraw market, you can find camels from Sinai, the Red Sea, Libya, and Somalia. Bedouins, farmers, and livestock traders sell small and big camels for a price varying from 15,000 EGP to 50,000 EGP and more or converted in dollars from $487 to $1623.
Now that you know how much is a camel in Egypt (between $200 and $1700) in two of the biggest camel markets in the country located in Lower and Upper Egypt, you can start saving.
5. How Much is a Camel in the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates is home to approximately 378,000 camels. Camels can be seen everywhere around the country, whether being led by their owners or going solo, taking tourists for a ride on the beach, rushing through the highways, or on your restaurant’s menu. If you want to see more camels in one place, visit the annual Al Dhafra festival, where more than 20,000 camels participate in a beauty pageant and compete for cash prizes. The festival’s goal is to emphasize the role of the camel in the United Arab Emirate’s culture.
Camels are big business in the United Arab Emirates, so if you are a serious buyer, you should visit Al Ain, the biggest livestock market in the country. There you can find young and adult Arabian camels and be a part of a one-of-a-kind experience. The market is near Al Ain, Abu Dhabi’s luxurious garden city, 15 km from the city’s center. For a four-month-old camel roughly the size of a pony, you will need 3,000 AED or $817. For an older specimen that can be used either for milk, meat, or racing (the most expensive ones), you need a bigger budget of 55,000 AED or $14,975. If you come across a pregnant female camel, the price can reach 80,000 AED or $21,782.
Now you know how much is a camel in the United Arab Emirates (between $800 and $22,000) and how much the price depends on the camel’s age, sex, and purpose.
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Cost of a Camel by Species
There are three species of camels, the Arabian camel with one hump also known as dromedary, and two others with two back humps knowns as Bactrian camels (wild and domesticated). Exploited for milk, wool, meat, transport, and more these “desert ships” have different market values. Just as the other factors (age, sex, and purpose) the species of camels have an important role in the determination of the overall camel price. Now, let’s see how much is a camel by species:
1. How Much is a Dromedary?
The Arabian camel or Dromedary has the following characteristics that add to its value:
- They breed by three to four years of age;
- Some dromedaries produce 35 kg (about 77 pounds) of milk per day (normal production is 4 kg or 9 pounds per day);
- Dromedaries reproduce until about 20 years old, and have a lifespan of 40 years;
- They conserve water and tolerate dehydration and rehydrate within minutes of a long drink (absorb over 100 liters or 25 gallons in 5 to 10 minutes);
- Their woolly coat reduces sweating and retains moisture even at high body temperatures (they start sweating after their body temperatures rise to 41 °C or 106 °F);
- Dromedary’s average market price is between $5,500 and $15,500.
2. How Much is a Bactrian?
There is a wild and domesticated Bactrian camel both having distinguished two back humps, unlike the Dromedary which has only one. Before determining the Bactrian camel price here are some interesting features you need to know before making the purchase:
- They are the heaviest members of the camel family (weighing up to 1,000 kg or 2,200 pounds);
- Domesticated Bactrian camels have large humps in a shape of a cylinder, while the wild ones have humps in a shape of a pyramid;
- Both domesticated and wild Bactrian camels have long woolen coats at the end of summer that protect them from the severe steppe winters;
- They store their fatin their humps, which when necessary is transformed into energy, letting them survive long periods without food or water;
- They can also drink salt water because their body can filtrate it and remove the salt before restoring it into the bloodstream;
- If you want a camel with these distinguished characteristics, you should be able to pay approximately $10,500.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is no simple answer to the question How much is a camel? The camel price varies by country, by species, and by the diversities within the species. So it is hard to single out one or two prices for a camel. Our goal was to help you understand how much the price differs from one country to another, depending on the camel’s presence in that particular country as well as the camel’s species, age, sex, and unique features.
Hopefully, we have managed to do just that! Give you a clearer picture of how much is a camel worldwide and assure you that there is a camel for every budget and purpose. See how much is a camel by country and by species before you buy your first or maybe one of many camels. Just make sure to take all the information into account before you make your purchase!
