What is Killing the Saudi Camels?

The camels sweat, vomit, pass out and die: two weeks after the beloved dromedaries started dropping by the dozen, Saudi officials still haven't been able to come up with a full explanation for their deaths, officially put at 1,982 as of Sunday.

The mystery is the talk of Riyadh. The first reports came from Wadi Dawasir south of the Saudi capital, where more than 1,000 camels in total are reported to have succumbed to the mystery illness. This week, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that camels have been dying throughout the Kingdom--more than 450 in Mecca, the holy city in western Saudi Arabia, and another 500 or so in the southern provinces of Asir, Najran and Jizan.

A Saudi "CSI" is in full swing. Agriculture Minister Fahd Balghonaim told reporters this week that foul play was among the possibilities under investigation. Experts have largely dismissed any outbreak of disease, focusing instead on tainted feed. Balghonaim believes that the feed was poisoned--perhaps deliberately--after it left a feed production factory and before it reached the camel farmers. Lab tests are being conducted on the feed to determine the type of toxin and where it came from.

Camels, it goes without saying, are a big deal in the desert kingdom. The current camel population is estimated at 850,000. For centuries, they were the primary means of transportation and a symbol of Bedouin tradition. They continue to be raised in large numbers for racing and shows. Saudis also love camel milk and meat. "Haven't you ever eaten camel?" my friend Ali asked me tonight. "I'll take you to a restaurant that serves camel meat. It's delicious, and low in cholesterol."

Anxious that the Bedouin not become upset by the tragedy, King Abdullah has promised compensation to the owners of the dead camels. But the mystery continues.

--By Scott MacLeod/Riyadh