Everyone has seen the camel, at least in pictures. It is called the ship of the desert. The endurance of the camel is legendary. For many inhabitants of the East, this animal is sacred, for example, for the Arabs. This is due to the fact that the prophet Muhammad was fed with her milk by a camel. Most likely, such a respectful attitude towards the animal will exist until the end of time, because in the book "Tales of the Prophets" it is written that the time of the Last Judgment will come after the Arabs give up camels.
The most interesting facts about a reliable and hardy "vehicle", without which you cannot survive in the desert, are presented in this article.
Sacred animal
Did you know that the Arabs affectionately call the camel "jamil", which means "beautiful" in translation? But this is only the first part of the translation: the last syllable "il" is equatedto the word "God". And without this "beautiful god" not a single religious ritual begins in the East.
The next interesting fact about the camel has to do with vocabulary. In the Arabic language, there are about 6,000 words related to this sacred animal. There are different names for females and males, old and young camels are called differently, differing in color shade, breed and intended for the transport of goods or people. After all, even a tired camel has a separate name. Such diversity can only be explained by the greatest respect for this animal.
Another fact about the camel, interesting from the point of view of education, is that the most popular wish for a boy among the Arabs is to become as hardworking and dignified as this majestic animal. Girls want to adopt the camel's grace and endurance.
On the origin and protection
Prophet Zarathustra received this name as a talisman. Its literal translation from the Pahlavi language means "owning a golden camel." Arabs often gave children names associated with hardy animals: this was considered the best protection.
The creation of the "ship of the desert", according to Eastern traditions, occurred after Allah created man. Therefore, to this day, life in the desert is unthinkable without a camel. And if you look into the night sky over the endless sands, you can see camels walking in the meadows of Allah, which look like stars from the ground.
Camel behavior
No matter how far you stepprogress, no machine can match the efficiency of the "ship of the desert".
Just a few facts about its capabilities:
- He is able not only to overcome great distances, but also to carry a weight equal to his own (at best) or more than half his own (standard load). And this means that the animal can carry from 350 to 700 kg.
- One of the interesting facts about the camel is the duration of its coexistence with humans - more than 5,000 years. Depending on his load, the desert helper covers a distance of 30 to 100 km per day, while completely unhurried.
- A camel can survive alone, or it can lead a collective life. In the latter case, there are up to 30 individuals in the herd.
- The legs of the animal are arranged in a special way, which allows him to kick in any direction. Therefore, being close to the animal, you should be careful.
- Patience is one of the main virtues of a camel. However, he does not allow familiarity, and in case of provocations, you can feel the famous spit of the "ship of the desert" on yourself. This is his defensive reaction.
- By the way, you should not shamelessly disturb the peace of the animal: firstly, it is useless, because it will rise only when it wants to; and secondly, you will be spat upon.
- One should not think that camels are only suitable for transporting goods: they were also used in case of military conflicts. Where there is nothing but hot sand, they are indispensable.
- Also, in the event of a sandstorm, a camel can protect its nostrils.
- These proud animals are widely distributed, and their number reaches 20 million individuals.
- The number of camels in the caravan, according to some information, may be several thousand.
- Another interesting fact about the camel: the "ship of the desert" can be a reliable companion, especially given its ability to divine the presence of water from 50 km away.
First information about the camel
If your child first saw this strange animal, for example, in a zoo or in a circus, then the first thing he can ask you is: "What is this on the back of a camel?" For children, the following facts may be interesting:
- Camels store fat in their humps, thanks to which they are able to walk many hundreds of kilometers without food or drink.
- Water is stored in the blood of these animals, so they can survive 2 weeks without fluid and a month without food.
- The high level of endurance of camels is provided by the peculiarities of their blood, which has a special structure of erythrocytes.
- Thanks to the structure of the lips, this animal is not afraid to eat thorny plants that other desert inhabitants avoid.
- And camels are not afraid of water and can swim.
- The cold is not terrible for them either: by winter they have a mane.
And the last thing: the championship in the discovery of camels belongs to the Russian scientist N. M. Przhevalsky. Before him about existencethe "ship of the desert" was unknown to Europeans.
