Wild Camel vs. Giant Panda: Which Is Rarer?
The latest estimates suggest that Wild Camel population is 640 – 740 in China and 400 – 1,100 in Mongolia, giving a global total of approximately 1,040 – 1,840 individuals. 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.
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.
How Many People Have Seen a Wild Camel?
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.
These figures clearly demonstrate that the Wild Camel is significantly rarer than the giant panda.
Wild Camel vs. Bactrian Camel vs. Dromedary Camel
There are over 2 million Bactrian camels and more than 15 million dromedary camels worldwide. Dromedary make up about 90% of all camels on Earth.
The Wild Camel is rarely seen, yet the Bactrian camel is a familiar sight on television and is widely used as a working animal in many countries. In fact, more than 900 domesticated Bactrian camels live in zoos and wildlife parks around the world. However, it is important to note that these are domestic Bactrian camels, not Wild Camels. In addition, there are hundreds to possibly thousands of Dromedary camels kept in zoos and wildlife parks worldwide.