Two Camel Calves Born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

YWP’s resident female Bactrian camels, Elizabeth and Darcy, both gave birth within hours of each other to the two male calves in the second week in March. Now, the youngsters have ventured out into the reserve to join the rest of the herd. 

 Elizabeth, born during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and aptly named after the late monarch was the first to give birth in the morning.

Meanwhile,  Elizabeth’s daughter Darcy also welcomed the arrival of her second baby Camel later on the same afternoon. It was the first time that two baby camels have arrived on the same day at the Park. 

Elizabeth and Darcy will have their hands full with the latest arrivals, who are yet to be named, keeping a close eye on their sons as they begin to explore their new surroundings.

The new arrivals are also a legacy from father Baxter, who sadly passed away at the end of last year.

Mums Elizabeth and Darcy are very proud of their new babies and they gave birth under the watchful eye of the rangers who care for the camels.

‘We are overjoyed by the two new additions to the herd and we cannot wait for our visitors to see them,’ says Ayshea Seston, Hoofstock Team Leader at the 175-acre park.

‘It is really lovely to welcome the new arrivals at the same time- they will grow up together and create such a strong bond!’

‘Bactrian camels usually live in herds of between 6 and 22 individuals with a dominant breeding male. We were all very saddened by the passing of Baxter. But we are delighted to see the new additions to the herd.”

The domesticated strain of Bactrian camels is not endangered, but the true wild Bactrian camel is a distinct species having evolved independently from other camels and is in desperate need of protection.

They are found in the deserts of Mongolia and China, but their numbers have dropped to only 1,000 due to hunting, habitat loss and illegal mining activities.

They are a family-oriented species and can live for 40 years. Their pregnancies take 13 months and calves stay close to their mothers until maturity which ranges from three years for females and up to six for males.

The Wildlife Foundation charity, based at the park,  has been instrumental in efforts to restore their numbers and funded a project releasing six Bactrians into the wild, 600 kilometres from their breeding centre near the Mongolia-China border. The Foundation has subsequently been funding local community education about the rare wild camels at education centres in Mongolia.

YWP, which is the UK’s No. 1 walkthrough wildlife adventure, is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and at risk species including Amur Leopards and Tigers, Polar Bears, Lions and Rhinos.