Wild Bactrian Camel
Camelus ferus
🐫
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Camelidae
Camelus ferus
A critically endangered relic of Ice‑Age camelids. The wild Bactrian camel has two humps and can survive in some of the harshest deserts on Earth. It diverged from domestic Bactrians hundreds of thousands of years ago and survives in small populations.
Description
The wild Bactrian camel measures 2.25–3.45 m long and weighs 300–690 kg. It has two fat‑filled humps, long legs and a thick coat that sheds seasonally. Unique among mammals, it can drink salt water more saline than seawater and endure extreme temperatures from –40 °C to +55 °C. Population surveys estimate only about 600 wild individuals in China and ~450 in Mongolia, making it one of the world’s rarest ungulates. Genetic analyses show the species diverged from domestic Bactrian camels about 700 000 years ago. Its ability to drink brackish water and withstand radiation from nuclear tests highlight a remarkable tolerance for harsh conditions. The wild camel is migratory, moving between rocky mountains, deserts and saline springs.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
790
2.1
3.15
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Neolithic peoples in Central Asia hunted and eventually domesticated Bactrian camels. At Ayakagytma in the Kyzylkum desert (Uzbekistan), bones of wild Bactrian camels dating 5500–3500 BC comprise 50–85 % of the faunal assemblage, indicating intensive hunting. Additional camel bones from Baotou (Inner Mongolia, 6000–5000 BC) and Lake Barkhol (Xinjiang, 3000 BC) confirm exploitation by humans. Domestication evidence appears slightly later: dung, woven hair and bones from Shahr‑i Sokhta (Iran, 2700–2500 BC) demonstrate domesticated camels, likely descended from wild populations.
1. Ayakagytma site, Uzbekistan (5500–3500 BC) – wild Bactrian camel bones constitute 50–85 % of remains, showing intensive hunting.
2. Baotou (Inner Mongolia, 6000–5000 BC) – Neolithic layers contain Bactrian camel bones, indicating early exploitation.
3. Shahr‑i Sokhta, Iran (2700–2500 BC) – camel dung, hair and bones signal domesticated camels, marking the transition from hunting to herding.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Extant
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
0
BP
Late Pleistocene
Asia
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
39.5
kg
Targeted Organs
Hump/backfat, marrow
Adipose Depots
Hump/backfat (when present), visceral; marrow
Preferred Cuts
Hump/backfat
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4