There are three types of camels in the world:
-
Dromedary camel (Arabian camel) (scientific name: Camelus dromedarius)
-
Bactrian camel (Asian camel) (scientific name: Camelus bactrianus)
-
Wild Camel (scientific name: Camelus ferus)
Among them, the Wild Camel is the only truly wild species. Wild Camel is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The latest estimates for China (640–740) and Mongolia (400–1,100) together indicate a total Wild Camel population of 1,040–1,840. The surviving population is found in the Gashun Gobi (Lop Nur) Desert in China and the southwestern region of the Mongolian Gobi.
To put this into perspective, there are about 2,700 giant pandas in the world, with roughly 1,900 living in the wild and around 800 in zoos and breeding centers worldwide. In contrast, there are no Wild Camels in zoos anywhere in the world, and only about 40 individuals live in the two Wild Camel Breeding Centers in Mongolia. These figures clearly demonstrate that the Wild Camel is significantly rarer than the giant panda.
In contrast, there are over 2 million Bactrian camels and more than 15 million dromedary camels worldwide. Domestic Bactrian camels have been vital to steppe nomads since their domestication around 2500 BC. The Bactrian camel played a crucial role in the Silk Road trade. The Silk Road was a vast network of trade routes across Asia, active from the 2nd century BCE to the mid-15th century. If the Silk Road can be described as “a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures,” then the Bactrian camel was undoubtedly the primary means of transportation across that bridge.
Bactrian camels served as essential transportation, capable of carrying 170 to 250 kg (375 to 550 lbs) and traveling up to 47 km (30 miles) per day. Remarkably, they can go for up to 30 days without drinking a single drop of water. Their hair is used to make ropes that encircle Ger camps, while their wool is woven into garments and socks — a single adult male can produce up to 18 kg of wool annually. In addition, they provide milk and meat, making them invaluable to nomadic life.
There is often confusion between the Wild Camel and the Bactrian camel, with many people mistakenly believing they are the same. However, the Wild Camel is not a wild version of the domestic Bactrian camel — it is an entirely separate species. The use of misleading or inappropriate English common names for the Wild Camel contributes to this misunderstanding and can reinforce the dangerous misconception that this Endangered species is safe in captivity.
The Wild Camel is rarely seen, yet the Bactrian camel is a familiar sight on television and serves as a working animal in many countries. In fact, over 900 domesticated Bactrian camels live in zoos and wildlife parks around the world. But to be clear, these are Bactrian camels, not Wild Camels. A reasonable estimate would likely be only a few thousand people worldwide, perhaps fewer than 5,000, have ever seen a Wild Camel in person. By contrast, millions of people have seen a Giant Panda in zoos worldwide.
Genetic studies estimate the divergence between wild and Bactrian camels occurred between 0.7 and 1.1 million years ago (with a confidence interval of 0.6 to 1.8 million years), depending on whether maternal or paternal DNA is analyzed. To put it simply, the difference between the two species is as significant as that between humans and chimpanzees.
Can you tell the difference in morphology between the Wild Camel and the Bactrian camel? Yes, absolutely! Wild Camels have several distinct physical features, including smaller, pyramid-shaped humps, a slenderer body, slimmer legs, and a flatter skull. In fact, the Mongolian name for the Wild Camel — хавтгай (havtagai) — translates to “flat head,” highlighting one of its most notable traits.
To help safeguard the Wild Camel from extinction in China and Mongolia, the Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WCPF) established captive breeding program in Mongolia since 2003 — the only initiative of its kind in the world. This effort is fully supported by the Mongolian Ministry of Nature, Environment, and Tourism (MNET), which allocated land for the program within the buffer zone of the Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area ‘A’ — the only natural habitat of the Wild Camel in Mongolia. WCPF currently operates two breeding centers in Mongolia. To learn more about WCPF and our conservation efforts, please visit our website at: https://www.wildcamels.com/