[imagesource:Hippopx]

When Nisar Ahmad Wani successfully cloned the first camel in 2019, he had no idea that it would become his 9-5 day job. Now, almost two decades later, he and his team have developed new cloning techniques and cell banks that allow them to clone dozens of animals each year, including buffalo and sheep. But their main focus remains camels. And not just any camels, but beauty queen camels, with droopy lips and long slender necks.

As weird as it sounds, camel beauty pageants are an actual thing in the Gulf States, and a good-looking camel can fetch anywhere up to tens of millions of dollars at events. It is such a lucrative business that some unscrupulous camel breeders have been known to inject camels with silicone and fillers, and inflate body parts using rubber bands to enhance their appearance, and make them more sexy. These camels might look like they belong in Hollywood, but in the auction business they are not seen as the real deal, and the owners are often disqualified. Cloning, however, is perfectly acceptable.

Wani and his team at the Reproductive Biotechnology Centre reportedly charge up to R1 million to make a clone of your sexiest camel, and in a region that seems flush with cash, and a weird love of camels, this means big business.

They have also been able to present bereaved camel owners with a replica of their deceased pet – cell samples can even be taken shortly after the death of the animal.

Cloning is also being used to reproduce elite racing camels. The desert sport is very popular in the Gulf and some races even employ robot jockeys to race for thousands of dollars in prize money.

Is it just me or do robots riding on cloned beauty pageant camels bring up a mental image of Kim Kardashian with a vibrator strapped to her back? Maybe it is just me.

Camels are an intricate part of life in the Gulf states, and even today they are seen as treasures and companions by the many tribes that dot the region.

“Camels were an essential element to ensuring life was possible in the Arabian Peninsula prior to the era of oil and gas. Traveling and trade between countries and settlements was facilitated by camels, who had the ability to endure the rough climate and survive on very little feed and water.”

Despite the revered status of these animals, cloning is not considered sacrilegious by the conservative Arab communities.

“Cloning is a scientific achievement in its own and should be considered as such.”

Wani and his team are also using their cloning techniques to help with animal species that are on the brink of extinction, so it’s not just about the money and the looks. With all the ‘out of the sandbox’ thinking going on in Dubai, can we suggest bringing some dinosaurs back? Imagine the first-ever T-Rex Grand Prix with robotic jockeys being held in the desert.

That would be awesome.

[source:cnn]