Identification of tampering methods among 12,385 Arabian camels using different diagnostic imaging techniques

Tampering is an illegal manipulation of Arabian (dromedary) camels for cosmetic purposes and to increase their market value. Because of the tremendous prizes awarded to the owners of the winning camels, methods of illegal tampering were frequently developed in camel beauty festivals. The detection of such practices constitutes a significant challenge for veterinarians supervising these festivals. One of these challenges is the large number of examined camels at beauty festivals. The second is the disappearance of injected hormones in the blood from days to months after their preliminary injection. Such challenges may be faced by using well-trained and professional veterinarians as well as developing new recent and advanced laboratory techniques that can discover traces of injected hormones or even blood proteins released as a result of specific hormone injection.

This study was conducted to document the most frequently used methods of illegal practices of tampering in dromedary camels and their detection by different methods, including (1) physical examination, (2) diagnostic imaging of ultrasonography, radiography, and thermography, and (3) hormonal analysis.

A total number of 12,385 dromedary camels (12,080 females and 305 males) were examined for detection of different illegal manipulations of tampering. The camels were examined at two points: external and internal. This study was conducted in Saudi Arabia during the events of the 7th King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 28, 2022 to January 12, 2023.

The suspected camels were examined using different methods, including sonography, thermography, radiography, and blood examinations. Of the 12,385 examined camels, 943 (7.6%) (921 females and 22 males) were confirmed to have different forms of tampering. These forms included stretching of the lips in 499 camels (52.9%), binding of the lips in 139 camels (14.7%), injection of the nose by a filler material in 121 camels (12.8%), increased testosterone level in 74 camels (7.8%), injection of the lips by filler material in 60 camels (6.4%), fibrosis of the nostril in 33 camels (3.5%), and fibrosis of the lips in 17 camels (1.8%).

A combination of clinical examination with sonography, radiography, thermography, and laboratory evaluation of testosterone and growth hormones is recommended for the detection of different forms of illegal manipulations of tampering in dromedary camels. There is no doubt that these illegal practices will negatively affect the welfare of camels and can lead to many physical and psychological drawbacks.