40 Camels Milk
Rick Bein
Camel’s Milk is not my highest choice.
While I was on the faculty at the University of Khartoum one of my Sudanese colleagues invited me to go on an excursion in the Butana Desert northeast east of Khartoum and east of the Nile River.
The Butana desert is located in the areas designated as Pastoralism and Rain Cultivation east of the Nile.
Map scale: 0_____________100_____________200_______________300 miles
Camels Grazing on Thorn Bushes 1974. Photo by Rick Bein
Suddenly a man came running out of the bush toward us waving his hands. We waited for him, and he came up and he came up to the driver’s window and said: Do you have any water?
Sure, we do. Do you want a drink?
Yes, please! He responded.
We got out of the vehicle and opened the back where we had five-gallon container of water. We poured a glassful and the camel herder drank it as if he were in heaven. After a few more glasses, I asked. How long has it had been since you had any water?
“Six weeks”.
“How have you survived all that time?” I asked.
“Camel’s milk” he said as he pulled a little bag of liquid hanging from his belt.
Figure 2: The favorite camel. Photo by Rick Bein 1974
It seemed he had not talked to any humans for six weeks also and to entertain us got his milking camel for us to see. I curiously asked if I could try some of the milk and he said “sure” and handed me the leather bag. I smelled something a little rancid, but I had to try it. I took a tiny sip, and it was enough! It tasted awful, like spoiled fermented milk. I quickly handed it back to him.
The look on my face must have humored my Sudanese colleagues as they all they had a good laugh. They knew what I was gagging about. To make matters worse, that tiny sip had repercussions that lasted several days.
Interesting enough, we have learned one strategy for humans to quench their thirst in the desert, but how do the camels do the same? Camels can go many weeks without water, but in the Butana Desert the camels found that they could also survive on the water contained in the tiny succulent fruits that they harvested among the thorns of the desert bushes