Hot air balloon Dubai fresh air

Hot air balloon Dubai fresh air

Hot air balloon Lahbab

Dubai is a city that often shouts. It shouts with light, with glass, with highways that hum and towers that try to touch the future. Yet, there is another Dubai that begins in a hush, before sun-up, in the cool outer hush of the desert. That is where hot air balloons wait in the half-light, their silk envelopes sprawled like sleeping giants on the sand. Here, the air smells faintly of mineral and dawn. Here, “Hot air balloon Dubai fresh air” isn't a search term; it's the feeling of your first breath outside the city, clean and cool, before the burners roar.

You start on the ground with your hands tucked into your sleeves and your breath turning visible for a moment. It surprises people-the idea that Dubai can be cold at dawn-but the desert keeps its own schedule. The crew works quickly and quietly, their movements a practiced choreography: lines straightened, baskets righted, a whoosh of flame, and the fabric lifts-first a twitch, then a billow, then a full, living shape pulling skyward. The pilot's voice has the steadiness of someone who measures time not by clocks but by weather.

Hot air balloon Dubai luxury experience

  1. Hot air balloon Dubai luxury tour
  2. Hot air balloon Dubai premium basket
  3. Hot air balloon Dubai calm journey
  4. Hot air balloon Dubai stress free
“Step in,” they say, and suddenly you're in a woven cradle, the earth just a foot away.

Lift-off is not like an airplane pressing your spine into the seat. It's like standing on an escalator that forgot to tell you it has begun. The sand slides backward slowly. The earth loosens its grip on you, and then releases. The balloon climbs with a patience you can feel in your ribcage. Sounds change. The crew becomes toy-sized. The highway's murmur fades. Even the burner speaks only in brief, hot syllables. Between its blinks of flame there is a quiet as complete as you may ever hear near a major city.

From above, the desert draws itself in long sentences of shadow and light. Dunes run like ribs beneath the skin of the morning. A convoy of camels, or a scatter of gazelles, appears and vanishes again in the fold of a ridge. On the horizon, the Hajar Mountains look like teeth, and beyond another edge the skyline of Dubai pulls itself together out of haze: needles of glass, a geometry in the distance that feels both familiar and unreal. It's small from here, and somehow softer, a reminder that scale is a kind of story we tell ourselves.

The air up here has a different personality. It smells clean, yes, but it also has temperature and texture-a coolness that sharpens the senses without biting them. It is not perfumed by car exhaust or air conditioning. It is wind without argument. Hot air balloon Lahbab People often say the ride gives them fresh air as a kind of tonic, but what lingers is not just oxygen. Hot air balloon Dubai luxury experience It's the way the air carries quiet. The silence feels physical, as if you could lean against it. Even the burner's breath only borrows the stillness for a second before it returns.

The pilot is reading invisible maps. At these altitudes, winds layer like currents in a river. By climbing or dipping just a little, the balloon can catch a different flow and drift east or west, socializing with the sky as it goes. It looks effortless, but it isn't. True skill is like that-no need to say its own name. There are days when a falconer rides along, and the bird slips into the air from the basket to draw a line we cannot see, then returns with a nonchalance that puts human daring in perspective.

There is a meditative democracy in the basket. Strangers hold the same horizon. A couple falls silent, a child does not know where to place the grin on their face, an elder watches the dunes the way one watches a fire-without needing to name each flicker. People reach for their phones, but often they stop taking pictures and simply watch. The sun clears the lip of the world, the desert flashes gold, and an odd sense comes over you that time, like the balloon, can sometimes drift instead of run.

Balloons are gentle machines with firm boundaries. They don't go up in wind that bullies them, or in heat that smudges the air. Dawn flights are not just romantic; they are practical. The air is steadier then, and the landings kinder. When the pilot starts scanning for a patch of open sand, you notice the ground coming up not fast but with intention. The landing can be a tiptoe or a brief, sandy shuffle, the basket skidding and laughing with you as it settles. Either way, the return to earth is a reunion rather than an impact.

You step out and the desert receives your shoes. The body has to remember gravity again. On many mornings there is a breakfast waiting: dates that taste like sunset, labneh cooling the tongue, bread warm enough to steam in your hands, and coffee laced with cardamom that says both welcome and wake up. Conversation blooms-about fear overcome, about surprising calm, about how small the city looked, about how big the sky felt. Hot air balloon Dubai video recording . Someone mentions sleep quality; someone else says their lungs feel scrubbed. It is a funny detail to love, but it's true-the air leaves a clarity you can carry all day.

In an age that creates spectacle by getting louder, the grace of a hot air balloon is its quiet yes. It sips fuel but depends on patience. It leaves no tracks. It needs you to slow down enough to feel your own pulse settle into the rhythm of heat and lift and glide. That is part of why this experience rewrites the story of Dubai. The city's charisma is ambition; the desert's charisma is attention. Between the two, at a few hundred meters above the dunes, there is a truce you can inhabit.

When you read the phrase “Hot air balloon Dubai fresh air,” it could be an advertisement, but it could also be a memory waiting patiently for its first morning. It is the hush before flame, the measured ascent, the way the sun chooses a dune and paints it on purpose. It is a human basket carried by a wind we did not invent, over a land that holds more quiet than we remembered existed. It is, in the end, the discovery that fresh air is not just something you breathe; it is something you notice, and then you keep noticing, long after your feet find the sand again.

 

Arabian oryx
Male in Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I [1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Hippotraginae
Genus: Oryx
Species:
O. leucoryx
Binomial name
Oryx leucoryx
(Pallas, 1777)

The Arabian oryx or white oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail.[2] It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus Oryx, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980.

In 1986, the Arabian oryx was classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in 2011, it was the first animal to revert to vulnerable status after previously being listed as extinct in the wild. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. In 2016, populations were estimated at 1,220 individuals in the wild, including 850 mature individuals, and 6,000–7,000 in captivity worldwide.[1]

Etymology

[edit]

The taxonomic name Oryx leucoryx is from the Greek orux (gazelle or antelope) and leukos (white). The Arabian oryx is also called the white oryx in English, dishon in Hebrew,[3] and is known as maha, wudhaihi, baqar al-wahsh, and boosolah in Arabic.[4]

Taxonomy

[edit]

The name "oryx" was introduced by Peter Simon Pallas in 1767 for the common eland as Antilope oryx. He also scientifically described the Arabian oryx as Oryx leucoryx, giving its range as "Arabia, and perhaps Libya". In 1816, Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville subdivided the antelope group, adopted Oryx as a genus name, and changed the species name Antilope oryx to Oryx gazella. In 1826, Martin Lichtenstein confused matters by transferring the name Oryx leucoryx to the scimitar oryx, now Oryx dammah. The Zoological Society of London obtained the first living individual in Europe in 1857. Not realizing this might be the Oryx leucoryx of previous authors, John Edward Gray proposed calling it Oryx beatrix after Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Oldfield Thomas renamed the scimitar oryx as Oryx algazal in 1903 and gave the Arabian oryx its original name.[4]

Description

[edit]
In Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve in Israel

The Arabian oryx' coat is an almost luminous white, the undersides and legs are brown, and black stripes occur where the head meets the neck, on the forehead, on the nose, and going from the horn down across the eye to the mouth. Both sexes have long, straight or slightly curved, ringed horns which are 0.61–1.49 m (2–4.9 ft). It stands between 0.79 and 1.25 m (2.6 and 4.1 ft) tall at the shoulder and typically weighs between 220 to 460 lb (100 to 209 kg).[5][2]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Historically, the Arabian oryx probably ranged throughout most of the Middle East. In the early 1800s, they could still be found in the Sinai, Palestine, the Transjordan, much of Iraq, and most of the Arabian Peninsula. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, their range was pushed back towards Saudi Arabia, and by 1914, only a few survived outside that country. A few were reported in Jordan into the 1930s, but by the mid-1930s, the only remaining populations were in the Nafud Desert in northwestern Saudi Arabia and the Rub' al Khali in the south.[2]

In the 1930s, Arabian princes and oil company clerks started hunting Arabian oryxes with automobiles and rifles. Hunts grew in size, and some were reported to employ as many as 300 vehicles. By the middle of the 20th century, the northern population was effectively extinct.[2] The last Arabian oryx in the wild before reintroduction was reported in 1972.[6]

Arabian oryxes prefer to range in gravel deserts or hard sand, where their speed and endurance will protect them from most predators and hunters on foot. In the sand deserts in Saudi Arabia, they used to be found in the hard sand areas of the flats between the softer dunes and ridges.[2]

Arabian oryxes have been reintroduced to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Jordan. A small population was introduced on Hawar Island, Bahrain, and large semi-managed populations at several sites in Qatar and the UAE. The total reintroduced population is now estimated to be around 1,000. This puts the Arabian oryx well over the threshold of 250 mature individuals needed to qualify for endangered status. However, the majority of the population is concentrated in Saudi Arabia.[1]

Behaviour and ecology

[edit]

The Arabian oryx rests during the heat of the day. A herd in Oman can range over 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). Packs are of mixed sex and usually comprise between 2 and 15 induvials, though herds of up to 100 have been reported. Arabian oryxes are generally not aggressive toward one another, which allows herds to exist peacefully for some time.[7]

Feeding

[edit]

The diets of the Arabian oryx consist mainly of grasses, but it eats a large variety of vegetation, including buds, herbs, fruit, tubers and roots. Herds follow infrequent rains to eat the new plants that grow afterwards. They can go for several weeks without water.[7] In Oman, it primarily eats grasses of the genus Stipagrostis, flowers from Stipagrostis plants appeared highest in crude protein and water, while leaves seemed a better food source with other vegetation.[8]

Behavior

[edit]

When the Arabian oryx is not wandering its habitat or eating, it digs shallow depressions in the soft ground under shrubs or trees for resting. They can detect rainfall from a distance and follow in the direction of fresh plant growth. The number of individuals in a herd can vary greatly (up to 100 have been reported occasionally), but the average is 10 or fewer individuals.[9] Bachelor herds do not occur, and single territorial males are rare. Herds establish a straightforward hierarchy that involves all females and males above the age of about seven months.[10] Arabian oryxes tend to maintain visual contact with other herd members, with subordinate males taking positions between the main body of the herd and the outlying females. If separated, males will search areas where the herd last visited, settling into a solitary existence until the herd's return. Where water and grazing conditions permit, male Arabian oryxes establish territories. Bachelor males are solitary.[11] A dominance hierarchy is created within the herd by posturing displays, which avoid the danger of serious injury their long, sharp horns could potentially inflict. Males and females use their horns to defend the sparse territorial resources against interlopers.[12]

Adaptations for desert environments

[edit]

The Arabian oryx changes its physiology and behaviour at different times of the year to increase survival during times when food and water are in limited supply. During the summer, when droughts are common in the desert environments where it lives, the Arabian oryx will drastically reduce its minimal fasting metabolic rate by lying completely inactive beneath shade trees during the day and ranging over smaller areas at night to forage.[13] By letting its body temperature rise during the heat of the day, it uses less evaporative cooling and retains more body water, and at night, the cool night air lowers its temperature back to the normal range.[14] The oryx's arterial blood temperature is partly powered by a network of small arterial vessels with a large surface area called the rete mirabile, which branches from the two carotid arteries to the brain and allows for heat exchange between warm arterial blood and the cooler blood in the sinus cavities.[14] Because of these changes in behaviour and physiology, it was shown that Arabian oryx can reduce their urine volume, faecal water loss, and resting metabolic rate by at least 50%.[15]

The Arabian wolf is the Arabian oryx's only predator. In captivity and safe conditions in the wild, it has a maximum life span of up to 20 years.[11] In periods of drought, though, their life expectancy may be significantly reduced by malnutrition and dehydration. Other causes of death include fights between males, snakebites, disease, and drowning during floods.[16]

Importance to humans

[edit]
South Arabian fragment of a stela, depicts a reclining ibex and three Arabian oryx heads. The ibex was one of the most sacred animals in South Arabia, while the oryx antelope was associated with the god Attar, 5th century BC.

The Arabian oryx is the national animal of Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates,[17] Bahrain, and Qatar.[18]

The Arabian oryx is also the namesake of several businesses on the Arabian peninsula, notably Al Maha Airways and Al Maha Petroleum.

In the King James Version of the Bible, the word re'em is translated as 'unicorn'. In Modern Hebrew, the name re'em lavan, meaning white oryx, is used in error for the scimitar-horned oryxes living in the sanctuary Yotvata Hai Bar near Eilat.[19] The scimitar oryx is called re'em Sahara. The Arabian name ri'ïm is the equivalent of the Hebrew name re'em, also meaning white oryx, suggesting a borrowing from the Early Modern Era.

A Qatari oryx named "Orry" was chosen as the official games mascot for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha,[20] and is shown on tailfins of planes belonging to Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways.

Unicorn myth

[edit]

The myth of the one-horned unicorn may be based on oryxes that have lost one horn. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder held that the oryx was the unicorn's "prototype".[21] From certain angles, the oryx may seem to have one horn rather than two,[22][23] and given that its horns are made from hollow bone that cannot be regrown, if an Arabian oryx were to lose one of its horns, for the rest of its life, it would have only one.[21]

Another source for the concept may have originated from the translation of the Hebrew word re'em into Greek as μονόκερως, monokeros, in the Septuagint.[24] In Psalm 22:21, the word karen, meaning horn, is written in singular. The Roman Catholic Vulgata and the Douay-Rheims Bible translated re'em as rhinoceros; other translations are names for a wild bull, wild oxen, buffalo, or gaur, but in some languages, a word for unicorn is maintained. The Arabic translation alrim is the correct choice etymologically, meaning 'white oryx'.[25]

Conservation

[edit]
Main article: Arabian oryx reintroduction
Arabian oryx in Al Ain Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society of London (now Fauna and Flora International), with financial help from the World Wildlife Fund, are credited with saving the Arabian oryx from extinction. In 1962, these groups started the first captive-breeding herd in any zoo, at the Phoenix Zoo, sometimes referred to as "Operation Oryx".[26][27] Starting with nine animals, the Phoenix Zoo has had over 240 successful births. From Phoenix, Arabian oryxes were sent to other zoos and parks to start new herds.

In 1968, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, out of concern for the land's wildlife, particularly ungulates such as the Arabian oryx, founded the Al Ain Zoo to conserve them.[28]

Arabian oryxes were hunted to extinction in the wild by 1972. By 1980, the number of Arabian oryxes in captivity had increased to the point that Arabian oryx reintroduction was started. The first release, to Oman, was attempted with Arabian oryxes from the San Diego Wild Animal Park.[6] Although numbers in Oman have declined, there are now wild populations in Saudi Arabia and Israel,[29][30] as well. One of the largest populations is found in Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area, a large, fenced reserve in Saudi Arabia, covering more than 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi).[1]

On June 28, 2007, Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was the first site ever to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO's reason for this was the Omani government's decision to open 90% of the site to oil prospecting. The Arabian oryx population on the site has been reduced from 450 in 1996 to only 65 in 2007. At that time, there were fewer than four breeding pairs left on the site.[31][needs update]

In June 2011, the Arabian oryx was relisted as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. The IUCN estimated there were more than 1,200 Arabian oryx in the wild as of 4 December 2020 2016, with 6,000–7,000 held in captivity worldwide in zoos, preserves, and private collections. Some of these are in large, fenced enclosures (free-roaming), including those in Syria (Al Talila), Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.[1] This is the first time the IUCN has reclassified a species as vulnerable after it had been listed as extinct in the wild.[32] The Arabian oryx is also listed in CITES Appendix I.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Oryx leucoryx". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T15569A50191626. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T15569A50191626.en. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Talbot, L. M. (1960). A Look at Threatened Species. The Fauna Preservation Society. pp. 84–91.
  3. ^ Slifkin, Nathan, The Torah encyclopedia of the Animal kingdom, vol.1, OU Press, New York, 2015, pp.272-275
  4. ^ a b "Conservation Programme for Arabian Oryx: Taxonomy & description". National Wildlife Research Center. 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  5. ^ "Oryx". Animals & Plants. San Diego Zoo. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  6. ^ a b Stanley-Price, Mark (July–August 1982). "The Yalooni Transfer". Saudi Aramco World. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  7. ^ a b Massicot, P. (2007). "Arabian Oryx". Animal Info. Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  8. ^ Spalton, J. A. (1999). "The food supply of Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the desert of Oman". Journal of Zoology. 248 (4): 433–441. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01043.x.
  9. ^ Leu, H. (2001) "Oryx leucoryx" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web.
  10. ^ How to go wild. New Scientist (1989-10-28). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  11. ^ a b "Arabian Oryx". The Phoenix Zoo. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  12. ^ BBC (2012-04-27). Science & Nature – Wildfacts – Arabian oryx. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  13. ^ Williams, J. B.; Ostrowski, S.; Bedin, E.; Ismail, K. (2001). "Seasonal variation in energy expenditure, water flux and food consumption of Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx". Journal of Experimental Biology. 204 (13): 2301–2311. Bibcode:2001JExpB.204.2301W. doi:10.1242/jeb.204.13.2301. PMID 11507113.
  14. ^ a b "Animals at the extremes: The desert environment". June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Ostrowski, S.; Williams, J. B.; Mésochina, P.; Sauerwein, H. (2005). "Physiological acclimation of a desert antelope, Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), to long-term food and water restriction". Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 176 (3): 191–201. doi:10.1007/s00360-005-0040-0. PMID 16283332. S2CID 14680361.
  16. ^ "The Oryx Facts". The Arabian Oryx Project. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  17. ^ "The UAE National Symbols..." TEACH United Arab Emirates. 2 (2). Jess Jumeira School. Nov–Dec 2014.
  18. ^ Orr, Tamra (30 June 2008). Qatar. Marshall Cavendish. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7614-2566-3. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  19. ^ "Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve | | Sights". www.lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  20. ^ "Mascot of Asian Games 2006". Travour.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  21. ^ a b Rice, M. (1994). The Archaeology of the Arabian Gulf, c. 5000–323 BC. Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 0-415-03268-7.
  22. ^ "Arabian Oryx". Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  23. ^ Tongren, S. (1981). What's for Lunch: Animal Feeding at the Zoo. GMG Publications. ISBN 978-0-939456-00-0.
  24. ^ Gerritsen, Wim (June 2005). "Bestaat de Eenhoorn;of Hoe de wetenschap de bijbel de baas werd". De Groene Amsterdammer.
  25. ^ "Smith & Van Dyke Arabic Bible translation - Deuteronomium 33:17". Bible Hub.
  26. ^ The Arabian Oryx Project – Timeline. oryxoman.com
  27. ^ Phoenix Zoo Species Survival Plan Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine. Phoenixzoo.org (2006-01-03). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  28. ^ "History". Al Ain Zoo. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  29. ^ Saltz, D. (1998). "A long-term systematic approach to planning reintroductions: the Persian fallow deer and the Arabian oryx in Israel". Animal Conservation. 1 (4): 245. Bibcode:1998AnCon...1..245S. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.1998.tb00035.x. S2CID 85943063.
  30. ^ Gilad, O.; Grant, W.E. & Saltz, D. (2008). "Simulated dynamics of Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the Israeli Negev: Effects of migration corridors and post-reintroduction changes in natality on population viability". Ecological Modelling. 210 (1–2): 169. Bibcode:2008EcMod.210..169G. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.07.015.
  31. ^ "Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary: first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  32. ^ Platt, John (17 June 2011). "Arabian Oryx Makes History as First Species to Be Upgraded from "Extinct in the Wild" to "Vulnerable"". scientificamerican.com. Retrieved 20 June 2011.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Silverberg, Robert (1967). The Auk, the Dodo, and the Oryx: Vanished and Vanishing Creatures. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. LCCN 67002554. L.C. Card AC 67-10476.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Oryx leucoryx (category)
 
Wikispecies has information related to Oryx leucoryx.
  • Images and movies of the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) at Arkive
  • Living Desert article
  • Arabian Oryx at Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve
  • Oryx leucoryx on Animal Diversity Web
  • Oryx leucoryx on Mammal Species of the World
 
 

 

This article is about hot air balloons themselves. For the activity, see Hot air ballooning. For other meanings, see Hot air balloon (disambiguation) and Air balloon (disambiguation).
"Balloon Ride" redirects here. For the song, see My First Album (Peppa Pig album).

 

Hot air balloon in flight
Novelty hot air balloons resembling anthropomorphized bees
Novelty hot air balloon resembling the Abbey of Saint Gall

A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries passengers and a source of heat, in most cases an open flame caused by burning liquid propane. The heated air inside the envelope makes it buoyant, since it has a lower density than the colder air outside the envelope. As with all aircraft, hot air balloons cannot fly beyond the atmosphere. The envelope does not have to be sealed at the bottom, since the air inside the envelope is at about the same pressure as the surrounding air. In modern sport balloons the envelope is generally made from nylon fabric, and the inlet of the balloon (closest to the burner flame) is made from a fire-resistant material such as Nomex. Modern balloons have been made in many shapes, such as rocket ships and the shapes of various commercial products, though the traditional shape is used for most non-commercial and many commercial applications.

The hot air balloon is the first successful human-carrying flight technology. The first untethered manned hot air balloon flight in the world was performed in Paris, France, by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes on November 21, 1783,[1] in a balloon created by the Montgolfier brothers.[2] Hot air balloons that can be propelled through the air rather than simply drifting with the wind are known as thermal airships.

History

[edit]
Main article: History of ballooning

Premodern and unmanned balloons

[edit]
A sky lantern

A precursor of the hot air balloon was the sky lantern (simplified Chinese: 孔明灯; traditional Chinese: 孔明燈). Zhuge Liang of the Shu Han kingdom, during the Three Kingdoms era (220–280 CE), used these airborne lanterns for military signaling.[3] The Mongolian army studied Kongming lanterns from China and used them in the Battle of Legnica during the Mongol invasion of Poland in the 13th century.[4] This is the first time ballooning was known in the western world.

In the 18th century the Portuguese Jesuit priest Bartolomeu de Gusmão in colonial Brazil envisioned an aerial apparatus named Passarola, which was the predecessor of the hot air balloon. The Passarola was intended to serve as an air vessel in order to facilitate communication and as a strategical device.[5] In 1709 John V of Portugal decided to fund Bartolomeu de Gusmão's project following a petition made by the Jesuit priest,[6] and an unmanned demonstration was performed at Casa da Índia in the presence of John V and the queen, Maria Anna of Austria, with the Italian cardinal Michelangelo Conti, two members of the Portuguese Royal Academy of History, one Portuguese diplomat and one chronicler serving as witnesses. This event would bring some European attention to this event and this project. A later article dated on October 20, 1786, by the London Daily Universal Register would state that the inventor was able to raise himself by the use of his prototype. Also in 1709, the Portuguese Jesuit wrote Manifesto summário para os que ignoram poderse navegar pelo elemento do ar (Short Manifesto for those who are unaware that is possible to sail through the element air); he also left designs for a manned air vessel.

In the 1970s, balloonist Julian Nott hypothesized that the Nazca Lines geoglyphs' creation two millennia ago could have been guided by Nazca leaders in a balloon, possibly the earliest hot air balloon flights in human history.[7] To support this theory, in 1975 he designed and piloted the Nazca Prehistoric Balloon, claiming to have used only methods and materials available to the Pre-Inca Peruvians 1,000 years ago.[8][9]

First manned flight

[edit]
A model of the Montgolfier brothers' balloon at the London Science Museum

The French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier developed a hot-air balloon in Annonay, Ardèche, France, and demonstrated it publicly on September 19, 1783, making an unmanned flight lasting 10 minutes. After experimenting with unmanned balloons and flights with animals, the first balloon flight with humans aboard, a tethered flight, performed on or around October 15, 1783, by Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier, who made at least one tethered flight from the yard of the Reveillon workshop in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. Later that same day, Pilatre de Rozier became the second human to ascend into the air, reaching an altitude of 26 m (85 ft), the length of the tether.[10][11] The first free flight with human passengers was made a few weeks later, on November 21, 1783.[2] King Louis XVI had originally decreed that condemned criminals would be the first pilots, but de Rozier, along with Marquis François d'Arlandes, petitioned successfully for the honor.[12][13][14] The first military use of a hot air balloon happened in 1794 during the battle of Fleurus, when the French used the balloon l'Entreprenant for observation.[15]

Modern balloons

[edit]
A hot air balloon over the city of Helsinki in September 2009
Hot air balloons, Cappadocia sunrise
A pair of Hopper balloons
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Modern hot air balloons, with an onboard heat source, were developed by Ed Yost and Jim Winker, beginning during the 1950s; their work resulted in his a first successful flight on October 22, 1960.[16] The first modern hot air balloon to be made in the United Kingdom (UK) was the Bristol Belle, built in 1967. Presently, hot air balloons are used primarily for recreation.

Records

[edit]

Altitude

[edit]

On November 26, 2005 Vijaypat Singhania set the world altitude record for highest hot air balloon flight, reaching 21,027 m (68,986 ft). He took off from downtown Mumbai, India, and landed 240 km (150 mi) south in Panchale.[17]

The previous record of 19,811 m (64,997 ft) had been set by Per Lindstrand on June 6, 1988, in Plano, Texas.

Speed

[edit]

On January 15, 1991, Per Lindstrand (born in Sweden, but resident in the UK) and Richard Branson of the UK flew 7,671.91 km (4,767.10 mi) from Japan to Northern Canada in the “Virgin Pacific Flyer”. With a volume of 74,000 cubic meters (2.6 million cubic feet), the balloon envelope was the largest ever built for a hot air craft. Designed to fly in the trans-oceanic jet streams, the Pacific Flyer recorded the fastest ground speed for a manned balloon at 394 km/h (245 mph).

Length

[edit]

The longest duration record was set by Swiss psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard (Auguste Piccard's grandson) and Briton Brian Jones, flying in the Breitling Orbiter 3. It was the first nonstop trip around the world by balloon. The balloon left Château-d'Oex, Switzerland, on March 1, 1999, and landed at 1:02 a.m. on March 21 in the Egyptian desert 500 km (300 mi) south of Cairo. The two men exceeded distance, endurance, and time records, traveling 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes.

Briefest trip around the world

[edit]

Steve Fossett, flying solo, exceeded the record for briefest time traveling around the world on 3 July 2002 on his sixth attempt,[18] in 320 h 33 min.[19] Fedor Konyukhov flew solo round the world on his first attempt in a hybrid hot air/helium balloon from 11 to 23 July 2016[20] for a round-the world time of 268 h 20 min.[19]

Construction

[edit]

A hot air balloon for manned flight uses a single-layered, fabric gas bag (lifting "envelope"), with an opening at the bottom called the mouth or throat. Attached to the envelope is a basket, or gondola, for carrying the passengers. Mounted above the basket and centered in the mouth is the "burner", which injects a flame into the envelope, heating the air within. The heater or burner is fueled by propane, a liquefied gas stored in pressure vessels, similar to high-pressure forklift cylinders.[21][22]

Envelope

[edit]

Modern hot air balloons are usually made of materials such as ripstop nylon or dacron (a polyester).[23]

A hot air balloon is inflated partially with cold air from a gasoline-powered fan, before the propane burners are used for final inflation.

During the manufacturing process, the material is cut into panels and sewn together, along with structural load tapes that carry the weight of the gondola or basket. The individual sections, which extend from the throat to the crown (top) of the envelope, are known as gores or gore sections. Envelopes can have as few as 4 gores or as many as 24 or more.[24]

Envelopes often have a crown ring at their very top. This is a hoop of smooth metal, usually aluminium, and approximately 30 cm (1 ft) in diameter. Vertical load tapes from the envelope are attached to the crown ring.

At the bottom of the envelope the vertical load tapes are sewn into loops that are connected to cables (one cable per load tape). These cables, often referred to as flying wires, are connected to the basket by carabiners.

Seams

[edit]

The most common technique for sewing panels together is called the French felled, French fell, or double lap seam.[25][26][27][28] The two pieces of fabric are folded over on each other at their common edge, possibly with a load tape as well, and sewn together with two rows of parallel stitching. Other methods include a flat lap seam, in which the two pieces of fabric are held together simply with two rows of parallel stitching, and a zigzag, where parallel zigzag stitching holds a double lap of fabric.[27]

Coatings

[edit]
Hot air balloon safari in Maasai Mara

The fabric (or at least part of it, the top 1/3, for example) may be coated with a sealer, such as silicone or polyurethane, to make it impermeable to air.[29] It is often the degradation of this coating and the corresponding loss of impermeability that ends the effective life of an envelope, not weakening of the fabric itself. Heat, moisture, and mechanical wear-and-tear during set-up and pack-up are the primary causes of degradation. Once an envelope becomes too porous to fly, it may be retired and discarded or perhaps used as a "rag bag": cold-inflated and opened for children to run through. Products for recoating the fabric are becoming available commercially.[30]

Sizes and capacity

[edit]

A range of envelope sizes is available. The smallest, one-person, basket-less balloons (called "Hoppers" or "Cloudhoppers") have as little as 600 m3 (21,000 cu ft) of envelope volume;[31] for a perfect sphere the radius would be around 5 m (16 ft). At the other end of the scale, balloons used by commercial sightseeing operations may be able to carry well over two dozen people, with envelope volumes of up to 17,000 m3 (600,000 cu ft).[31] The most-used size is about 2,800 m3 (99,000 cu ft), allowing to carry 3 to 5 people.

Vents

[edit]
The parachute vent at the top of an envelope, as seen from below through the mouth

The top of the balloon usually has a vent of some sort, enabling the pilot to release hot air to slow an ascent, start a descent, or increase the rate of descent, usually for landing. Some hot air balloons have turning vents, which are side vents that, when opened, cause the balloon to rotate. Such vents are particularly useful for balloons with rectangular baskets, to facilitate aligning the wider side of the basket for landing.[32]

The most common type of top vent is a disk-shaped flap of fabric called a parachute vent, invented by Tracy Barnes.[33] The fabric is connected around its edge to a set of "vent lines" that converge in the center. (The arrangement of fabric and lines roughly resembles a parachute—thus the name.) These "vent lines" are themselves connected to a control line that runs to the basket. A parachute vent is opened by pulling on the control line. Once the control line is released, the pressure of the remaining hot air pushes the vent fabric back into place. A parachute vent can be opened briefly while in flight to initiate a rapid descent. (Slower descents are initiated by allowing the air in the balloon to cool naturally.) The vent is pulled open completely to collapse the balloon after landing.

An older, and presently less commonly used, style of top vent is called a "Velcro-style" vent. This too is a disk of fabric at the top of the balloon. However, rather than having a set of "vent lines" that can repeatedly open and close the vent, the vent is secured by "hook and loop" fasteners (such as Velcro) and is only opened at the end of the flight. Balloons equipped with a Velcro-style vent typically have a second "maneuvering vent" built into the side (as opposed to the top) of the balloon. Another common type of top design is the "smart vent", which, rather than lowering a fabric disc into the envelope as in the "parachute" type, gathers the fabric together in the center of the opening. This system can theoretically be used for in-flight maneuvering, but is more commonly used only as a rapid-deflation device for use after landing, of particular value in high winds. Other designs, such as the "pop top" and "MultiVent" systems, have also attempted to address the need for rapid deflation on landing, but the parachute top remains popular as an all-around maneuvering and deflation system.

Shape

[edit]

Besides special shapes, possibly for marketing purposes, there are several variations on the traditional "inverted tear drop" shape. The simplest, often used by home builders, is a hemisphere on top of a truncated cone. More sophisticated designs attempt to minimize the circumferential stress on the fabric, with different degrees of success depending on whether they take fabric weight and varying air density into account. This shape may be referred to as "natural".[34] Finally, some specialized balloons are designed to minimize aerodynamic drag (in the vertical direction) to improve flight performance in competitions.[35]

Basket

[edit]
Hot air balloon basket in flight
A wicker basket capable of holding 16 passengers

Hot air balloon baskets are commonly made of woven wicker or rattan. These materials have proven to be sufficiently light, strong, and durable for balloon flight. Such baskets are usually rectangular or triangular in shape. They vary in size from just big enough for two people to large enough to carry thirty.[36] Larger baskets often have internal partitions for structural bracing and to compartmentalize the passengers. Small holes may be woven into the side of the basket to act as foot holds for passengers climbing in or out.[37]

Baskets may also be made of aluminium, especially a collapsible aluminium frame with a fabric skin, to reduce weight or increase portability.[38] These may be used by pilots without a ground crew or who are attempting to set altitude, duration, or distance records. Other specialty baskets include the fully enclosed gondolas used for around-the-world attempts[39] and baskets that consist of little more than a seat for the pilot and perhaps one passenger.

Burner

[edit]
A burner directing a flame into the envelope
Burner

The burner unit gasifies liquid propane,[40] mixes it with air, ignites the mixture, and directs the flame and exhaust into the mouth of the envelope. Burners vary in power output; each will generally produce 2 to 3 MW of heat (7 to 10 million BTUs per hour), with double, triple, or quadruple burner configurations installed where more power is needed.[41][42] The pilot actuates a burner by opening a propane valve, known as a blast valve. The valve may be spring-loaded, so that it closes automatically, or it may stay open until closed by the pilot. The burner has a pilot light to ignite the propane and air mixture. The pilot light may be lit by the pilot with an external device, such as a flint striker or a lighter, or with a built-in piezoelectric spark.[43]

Where more than one burner is present, the pilot can use one or more at a time, depending on the desired heat output. Each burner has a metal coil of propane tubing the flame shoots through to preheat the incoming liquid propane. The burner unit may be suspended from the mouth of the envelope or supported rigidly over the basket. The burner unit may be mounted on a gimbal to enable the pilot to aim the flame and avoid overheating the envelope fabric. A burner may have a secondary propane valve that releases propane more slowly and thereby generates a different sound. This is called a whisper burner and is used for flight over livestock to lessen the chance of spooking them. It also generates a more yellow flame and is used for night glows because it lights up the inside of the envelope better than the primary valve.

Fuel tanks

[edit]

Propane fuel tanks are usually cylindrical pressure vessels made from aluminium, stainless steel, or titanium with a valve at one end to feed the burner and to refuel. They may have a fuel gauge and a pressure gauge. Common tank sizes are 38, 57 and 76 litres (10, 15 and 20 US gallons).[29] They may be intended for upright or horizontal use and may be mounted inside or outside the basket.

Stainless steel fuel tanks, wrapped in red insulating covers, mounted vertically, and with fuel gauges, during refueling

The pressure necessary to force the fuel through the line to the burner may be supplied by the vapor pressure of the propane itself, if warm enough, or by the introduction of an inert gas such as nitrogen.[43] Tanks may be preheated with electrical heat tapes to produce sufficient vapor pressure for cold-weather flying.[44] Warmed tanks are usually also wrapped in an insulating blanket to preserve heat during the setup and flight.

Instrumentation

[edit]

A balloon may be outfitted with a variety of instruments to aid the pilot. These commonly include an altimeter, a rate-of-climb (vertical-speed) indicator known as a variometer, envelope (air) temperature, and ambient (air) temperature.[45] A GPS receiver can be useful to indicate ground speed (traditional aircraft air-speed indicators would be useless) and direction.

Combined mass

[edit]

The combined mass of an average system can be calculated as follows:[29]

 
1.9%
 
0.7%
 
5.4%
 
10.0%
 
21.2%
 
78.8%
 
100.0%
Component Pounds Kilograms Mass fraction
2,800 m3 (100,000 cu ft) envelope 250 113.4
 
3.3%
5-passenger basket 140 63.5  
Double burner 50 22.7  
3 76 L (20 US gal) fuel tanks full of propane 3 × 135 = 405 183.7  
5 passengers 5 × 150 = 750 340.2  
Subtotal 1595 723.5  
2,800 m3 (100,000 cu ft) of heated air* 5922 2686.2  
Total (3.76 tons) 7517 3409.7  
* Using a density of 0.9486 kg/m3 (0.05922 lb/cu ft) for dry air heated to 99 °C (210 °F).

Theory of operation

[edit]

Generating lift

[edit]

Increasing the air temperature inside the envelope makes it less dense than the surrounding (ambient) air. The balloon floats because of the buoyant force exerted on it. This force is the same force that acts on objects when they are in water and is described by Archimedes' principle. The amount of lift (or buoyancy) provided by a hot air balloon depends primarily upon the difference between the temperature of the air inside the envelope and the temperature of the air outside the envelope. For most envelopes made of nylon fabric, the maximal internal temperature is limited to approximately 120 °C (250 °F).[46]

The melting point of nylon is significantly greater than this maximal operating temperature—about 230 °C (450 °F)—but higher temperatures cause the strength of the nylon fabric to degrade more quickly over time. With a maximal operating temperature of 120 °C (250 °F), balloon envelopes can generally be flown for between 400 and 500 hours before the fabric needs to be replaced. Many balloon pilots operate their envelopes at temperatures significantly less than the maximum to extend envelope-fabric life.

The lift generated by 2,800 m3 (100,000 cu ft) of dry air heated to various temperatures may be calculated as follows:

Air temperature
°C (°F)		 Air density
kg/m3 (lb/cu ft)		 Air mass
kg (lb)		 Lift generated
kg (lb)
20 (68) 1.2041 (0.07517) 3,409.7 (7,517) 0, (0)
99 (210) 0.9486 (0.05922) 2,686.2 (5,922) 723.5 (1,595)
120 (248) 0.8978 (0.05605) 2,542.4 (5,605) 867.3 (1,912)
Thermal image showing temperature variation in a hot air balloon

The density of air at 20 °C (68 °F) is about 1.2 kg/m3 (0.075 lb/cu ft). The total lift for a balloon of 2,800 m3 (100,000 cu ft) heated to 99 °C (210 °F) would be 723.5 kg (1,595 lb). This is just enough to generate neutral buoyancy for the total system mass (not including the heated air trapped in the envelope, of course) stated in the previous section. Liftoff would require a slightly greater temperature, depending on the desired rate of climb. In reality, the air contained in the envelope is not all at the same temperature, as the accompanying thermal image shows, and so these calculations are based on averages.

For typical atmospheric conditions (20 °C or 68 °F), a hot air balloon heated to 99 °C (210 °F) requires about 3.91 m3 of envelope volume to lift 1 kilogram (equivalently, 62.5 cu ft/lb). The precise amount of lift provided depends not only upon the internal temperature mentioned above, but the external temperature, altitude above sea level, and humidity of the air surrounding. On a warm day, a balloon cannot lift as much as on a cool day, because the temperature required for launch will exceed the maximum sustainable for nylon envelope fabric. Also, in the lower atmosphere, the lift provided by a hot air balloon decreases about 3% per 1,000 m (1% per 1,000 ft) of altitude gained.[47]

Types of Hot Air Balloons

[edit]

There are several different types of hot air balloons, all with different means of taking and sustaining flight.

Montgolfier

[edit]
A Virgin hot air balloon flying over Cambridge

Standard hot air balloons are known as Montgolfier balloons and rely solely on the buoyancy of hot air provided by the burner and contained by the envelope.[48] This style of balloon was developed by the Montgolfier brothers and had its first public demonstration on 4 June 1783 with an unmanned flight lasting 10 minutes, followed later that year with manned flights.[49]

Gas

[edit]
1900 Olympics ballooning event at Le Parc d'aerostation, Paris[50]

Instead of using regular air it is also possible to use lighter than air gasses such as Helium or Hydrogen to lift the balloon,[51] though this means it is technically not a hot air balloon, though they did influence the design of hybrid balloons.

Hybrid

[edit]
During 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones achieved the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe in Breitling Orbiter 3, a Rozière/Hybrid balloon.
Early depiction of hybrid balloon

The 1785 Rozière balloon, is the main type of hybrid balloon, named after its creator, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier. It has a separate cell for a lighter-than-air gas (typically helium), as well as a cone below for hot air (as is used in a hot air balloon) to heat the helium at night. Hydrogen gas was used in the very early stages of development but was quickly abandoned due to the danger of introducing an open flame near the gas, for example when Rozier attempted to cross the English Channel with his prototype, the fire used to heat the air ignited the Hydrogen and killed both him and his copilot thirty minutes after takeoff.[52] As such, all modern hybrid balloons now use helium as a lifting gas.[53] These balloons are commonly used for high performance records for hot air balloons.

Solar

[edit]
A four-meter-high solar balloon floating over a meadow

Solar balloons are hot air balloons that use just solar energy captured by an envelope. These envelopes are more specialized than for other hot air balloons, trying to maximize the amount of solar energy they collect. This can be accomplished by rotating the envelope during flight or by having the envelope colored black or another dark color.[54] They were pioneered in the 1970s in Europe by Tracy Barnes, Dominic Michaelis, and in the US by Frederick Espoo and Paul Woessher.[55]

Thermal Airship

[edit]
A Thermal airship being prepared for take-off during the "Warsteiner Internationale Montgolfiade" at Warstein (Germany)

A Thermal airship, or blimp, became a reality in the 1960s. Thermal airships were the first steerable air buoyant vehicles.[56] They utilized tail fins and a rudder and contained strictly hot air rather than a mix with hydrogen or helium.[56]

Observation Balloon

[edit]

Observation balloons were deployed as early as the American Civil War and used as reconnaissance towers.[57] The first military funded balloon in America was designed by Thaddeus Lowe on August 2, 1861, for the Union.[57] His design utilized gas from municipal lines to inflate the balloon as he did not have access to a portable generator.[57] Observation balloons during this time were all made using multicolored-silk, wicker baskets, and were vertically oriented and tear shaped.[58] Hydrogen, or illumination gas became the most used inflation fuel by the 20th Century, as it was lighter than air.[58] Observation balloon usage skyrocketed in Britain by the Royal Engineers at the end of the 19th Century, deploying to Sudan in 1885 and to South Africa during the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902.[59]

Steering

[edit]

Due to the overall design of hot air balloons, controlled and precise steering of hot air balloons is not possible; it is possible for pilots to try to achieve basic directional control by changing altitude and catching different wind streams.[60] Wind in the northern hemisphere tends to turn east due to coriolis effect as the altitude increases.

Landing

[edit]
Landing Single Hot Air Balloon

The most effective way of landing a hot air balloon is to reduce the energy in the envelope, either by turning down the flame in Montgolfier and Hybrid balloons, or more directly by opening a flap in the envelope that will release the air/gas inside.[60]

Safety equipment

[edit]

To help ensure the safety of pilot and passengers, a hot air balloon may carry several pieces of safety equipment.

Basket

[edit]

To relight the burner if the pilot light goes out and the optional piezo ignition fails, the pilot should have ready access to a means of backup ignition, such as a flint spark lighter. Many systems, especially those that carry passengers, have completely duplicate fuel and burner systems: two fuel tanks, connected to two separate hoses, which feed two distinct burners. This enables a safe landing in the case of a blockage somewhere in one system or if a system must be disabled because of a fuel leak.

A fire extinguisher suitable for extinguishing propane fires is useful. Most balloons carry a 1 or 2 kg AB:E type fire extinguisher.[61]

A handling or drop line is mandatory safety equipment in many countries. This is a rope or webbing of 20–30 meters in length attached to the balloon basket with a quick-release connection at one end. In very calm winds the balloon pilot can throw the handling line from the balloon so that the ground crew can guide the balloon safely away from obstructions on the ground.[62]

For commercial passenger balloons, a pilot restraint harness is mandatory in some countries. This consists of a hip belt and a webbing line that together allow for some movement while preventing the pilot from being ejected from the basket during a hard landing.

Further safety equipment may include a first-aid kit, a fire blanket and a strong rescue knife.

Occupants

[edit]

At a minimum, the pilot should wear leather or flame-retardant fiber (such as nomex) gloves, so that they may shut off a gas valve in the case of a leak, even if there is a flame present; quick action in this regard can turn a potential catastrophe into a mere inconvenience. The pilot should additionally wear flame-resistant clothing covering their arms and legs; either natural fiber, such as cotton, linen, hemp, or wool, or engineered flame-retardant fiber, such as nomex, is acceptable in this capacity. Most engineered fibers (with the exception of rayon, which is also safe to wear) are thermoplastic; many are also hydrocarbons. This makes such fabrics very much unsuitable to wear near high temperatures, since non-flame-retardant thermoplastics will melt onto the wearer, and most hydrocarbons, whether fibrous or not, are suitable to use as fuels. Natural fiber will singe rather than melt or burn readily, and flame-retardant fiber generally has a very high melting point and is intrinsically non-flammable. Many pilots also advise their passengers to wear similar protective clothing that covers their arms and legs, as well as strong shoes or boots that offer good ankle support. Finally, some balloon systems, especially those that hang the burner from the envelope instead of supporting it rigidly from the basket, require the use of helmets by the pilot and passengers.

Ground crew

[edit]

The ground crew should wear gloves whenever there is a possibility of handling ropes or lines. The mass and exposed surface to air movement of a medium-sized balloon is sufficient to cause rope friction burns to the hands of anyone trying to stop or prevent movement. The ground crew should also wear sturdy shoes and at least long pants in case of the need to access a landing or landed balloon in rough or overgrown terrain.

Maintenance and repair

[edit]
Taken from the basket, the reflection of the balloon can be seen in the lake below. Obstacles in the landscape can inhibit smooth retrieval of the balloon upon landing.
A commercial balloon ride approaching its landing site at Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania

As with aircraft, hot air balloons require regular maintenance to remain airworthy. As aircraft made of fabric and that lack direct horizontal control, hot air balloons may occasionally require repairs to rips or snags. While some operations, such as cleaning and drying, may be performed by the owner or pilot, other operations, such as sewing, must be performed by a qualified repair technician and recorded in the balloon's maintenance log book.

Maintenance

[edit]

To ensure long life and safe operation, the envelope should be kept clean and dry. This prevents mold and mildew from forming on the fabric and abrasion from occurring during packing, transport, and unpacking due to contact with foreign particles. In the event of a landing in a wet (because of precipitation or early morning or late evening dew) or muddy location (farmer's field), the envelope should be cleaned and laid out or hung to dry.

The burner and fuel system must also be kept clean to ensure safe operation on demand. Damaged fuel hoses need to be replaced. Stuck or leaky valves must be repaired or replaced. The wicker basket may require occasional refinishing or repair. The skids on its bottom may require occasional replacement.

Balloons in most parts of the world are maintained in accordance with a fixed manufacturer's maintenance schedule that includes regular (100 flight hours or 12 month) inspections, in addition to maintenance work to correct any damage. In Australia, balloons used for carrying commercial passengers must be inspected and maintained by approved workshops.[63]

Repair

[edit]

In the case of a snag, burn, or rip in the envelope fabric, a patch may be applied or the affected panel completely replaced. Patches may be held in place with glue, tape, stitching, or a combination of these techniques. Replacing an entire panel requires the stitching around the old panel to be removed, and a new panel to be sewn in with the appropriate technique, thread, and stitch pattern.

Licensing

[edit]

Depending on the size of the balloon, location, and intended use, hot air balloons and their pilots need to comply with a variety of regulations.

Balloons

[edit]
Top of balloon during inflation. Crew is securing parachute vent.

As with other aircraft in the US, balloons must be registered (have an N-number), have an airworthiness certificate, and pass annual inspections. Balloons below a certain size (empty weight of less than 155 pounds or 70 kg including envelope, basket, burners and empty fuel tanks) can be used as an ultralight aircraft.

Pilots

[edit]

In Australia

[edit]

In Australia, private balloon pilots are managed by the Australian Ballooning Federation[64] and typically become members of regional hot air ballooning clubs. Commercial operations carrying fare paying passengers or charging for promotional flights must operate under an Air Operators Certificate from the Australian Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) with a nominated Chief Pilot. Pilots must have different degrees of experience before they are allowed to progress to larger balloons. Hot air balloons must be registered aircraft with CASA and are subject to regular airworthiness checks by authorised personnel.[65]

In the UK

[edit]

In the UK, the person in command must hold a valid Private Pilot's Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority specifically for ballooning; this is known as the PPL(B). There are two types of commercial balloon licences: CPL(B) Restricted and CPL(B) (Full). The CPL(B) Restricted is required if the pilot is undertaking work for a sponsor or being paid by an external agent to operate a balloon. The pilot can fly a sponsored balloon with everything paid for with a PPL unless asked to attend any event. Then a CPL(B) Restricted is required. The CPL(B) is required if the pilot is flying passengers for money. The balloon then needs a transport category C of A (certificate of air worthiness). If the pilot is only flying sponsor's guests and not charging money for flying other passengers, then the pilot is exempted from holding an AOC (air operator's certificate) though a copy of it is required.[clarification needed] For passenger flying the balloon also requires a maintenance log.

In the United States

[edit]

In the United States, a pilot of a hot air balloon must have a pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), carrying the rating of "Lighter-than-air free balloon", and unless the pilot is also qualified to fly gas balloons, will also carry this limitation: "Limited to hot-air balloons with airborne heater". A pilot does not need a license to fly an ultralight aircraft, but training is highly advised, and some hot-air balloons meet the criteria.

To carry paying passengers for hire (and attend some balloon festivals), a pilot must have a commercial pilot certificate. Commercial hot air balloon pilots may also act as hot air balloon flight instructors. While most balloon pilots fly for the pure joy of floating through the air, many are able to make a living as a professional balloon pilot. Some professional pilots fly commercial passenger sightseeing flights, while others fly corporate advertising balloons.[66]

Accidents and incidents

[edit]
Further information: History of ballooning § Notable accidents
  • 1989 Alice Springs hot air balloon crash: On 13 August 1989, two hot air balloons collided at Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, causing one to fall, killing all 13 people on board.
  • 2011 Somerset hot air balloon crash: On 1 January 2011, a hot air balloon attempting a high-altitude flight crashed at Pratten's Bowls Club in Westfield, Somerset, near Bath, England, killing both people on board.
  • 2012 Carterton hot air balloon crash: On 7 January 2012, a hot air balloon collided with a power line, caught fire and crashed at Carterton, North Island, New Zealand, killing all 11 people on board.
  • 2012 Ljubljana Marshes hot air balloon crash: On 23 August 2012, a storm blew a hot air balloon to the ground, causing it to catch fire on impact near Ljubljana, Slovenia. The crash killed 6 of the 32 people on board, and injured the other 26.
  • 2013 Luxor hot air balloon crash: On 26 February 2013, a hot air balloon carrying foreign tourists ignited and crashed near the ancient city of Luxor, Egypt, killing 19 of the 21 people on board, making it the deadliest balloon accident in history.[67]
  • 2016 Lockhart hot air balloon crash: On 30 July 2016, a hot air balloon carrying 16 people caught fire and crashed near Lockhart, Texas. There were no survivors.
  • 2021 Albuquerque hot air balloon crash: On 26 June 2021, a hot air balloon carrying five people made contact with a power line and crashed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. All five people on board died as a result of the accident.
  • On 14 January 2024, a hot air balloon crashed outside Eloy, Arizona,[68] killing the three passengers and pilot. Eight skydivers had exited the balloon immediately prior to the incident.
  • 2025 Santa Catarina hot air balloon crash: On 21 June 2025, a hot air balloon crashed after catching fire in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina, Brazil, killing 8 of the 21 people on board.[69][70]

Manufacturers

[edit]
New 2017 Cameron hot air balloon in flight

The largest manufacturer of hot air balloons is Cameron Balloons of Bristol, England, which also owns Lindstrand Balloons of Oswestry, England. Cameron Balloons, Lindstrand Balloons and another English balloon manufacturing company Thunder and Colt (since acquired by Cameron) have been innovators and developers of special shaped balloons. These hot-air balloons use the same principle of lift as conventional inverted teardrop-shaped balloons, but often sections of the special balloon envelope shape do not contribute to the balloon's ability to stay aloft.

The second largest manufacturer of hot air balloons is Ultramagic company, based in Spain, which produces from 80 to 120 balloons per year. Ultramagic can produce very large balloons, such as the N-500 that accommodates as many as 27 persons in the basket, and has also produced many balloons with special shapes, as well as cold-air inflatables.

One of the three largest companies in the world is Kubicek Balloons. From its factory in Brno, Czechia the company ships its products worldwide. Produces from 100 to 115 balloons per year. Kubicek company also focus on special shape balloons, FAA/EASA type certified and are delivered with a Standard Airworthiness Certificate.

One of the last Aerostar International, Inc. RX8 balloons

In the USA Aerostar International, Inc. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota was North America's largest balloon manufacturer and a close second in world manufacturing before ceasing to build balloons in January 2007. The oldest U.S. certified manufacturer is now Adams Balloons out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Firefly Balloons, formerly The Balloon Works, is a manufacturer of hot air balloons in Statesville, North Carolina. Another manufacturer is Head Balloons, Inc. of Helen, Georgia.

The major manufacturers in Canada are Sundance Balloons and Fantasy Sky Promotions. Other manufacturers include Kavanagh Balloons of Australia, Schroeder Fire Balloons of Germany, Kubicek Balloons of the Czech Republic, and LLopis Balloons of France.

See also

[edit]
  • Aerostat
  • Barrage balloon
  • Blimp
  • Cluster ballooning
  • Espionage balloon
  • Gas balloon
  • High-altitude balloon
  • History of military ballooning
  • Hot air balloon festival
  • Hot air ballooning
  • Observation balloon
  • Research balloon
  • Skyhook balloon

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Tom D. Crouch (2008). Lighter Than Air. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-9127-4.
  2. ^ a b "U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission: Early Balloon Flight in Europe". Archived from the original on 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  3. ^ Deng, Yinke (2005). Ancient Chinese Inventions. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press. ISBN 978-7508508375., cited in Joel Serrão, Dicionário de História de Portugal, Vol III. Porto: Livraria Figueirinhas, 1981, 184–185.
  4. ^ Joseph Needham (1965). Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering; rpr. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
  5. ^ Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo. "Cartas Consultas e Mais Obras de Alexandre de Gusmão" (páginas do manuscrito 201–209).
  6. ^ De Gusmão, Bartolomeu. "Reproduction fac-similé d'un dessin à la plume de sa description et de la pétition adressée au Jean V. (de Portugal) en langue latine et en écriture contemporaine (1709) retrouvés récemment dans les archives du Vatican du célèbre aéronef de Bartholomeu Lourenco de Gusmão "l'homme volant" portugais, né au Brésil (1685–1724) précurseur des navigateurs aériens et premier inventeur des aérostats. 1917".
  7. ^ "Innovative Projects; The Extraordinary Nazca Prehistoric Balloon". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  8. ^ "Scientist and Aviator Julian Nott Dies After a Bizarre Accident". LTA-Flight Magazine. 29 March 2019.
  9. ^ Browne, Malcolm W. (18 November 1986). "Ballonist Has High Hopes But No Illusions". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. ^ Glenday, Craig (2013). Guinness world records 2014. Guinness World Records Limited. ISBN 978-1908843159.
  11. ^ Tom D. Crouch (2009). Lighter Than Air.
  12. ^ "Start-Flying: History of Balloon Flying". www.start-flying.com. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  13. ^ "Lighter than air: The Montgolfier Brothers". Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  14. ^ "National Air and Space Museum: Pioneers of Flight gallery". Archived from the original on 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  15. ^ "Fleurus (Municipality, Province of Hainaut, Belgium)". CRW Flags Inc. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
  16. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (2007-06-04). "Ed Yost, 87, Father of Modern Hot-Air Ballooning, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  17. ^ "Dr. Vijaypat Singhania enters the Guinness World Records" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  18. ^ Fedor Konyukhov (17 September 2016). "Experience: I flew solo around the world in a hot-air balloon". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 September 2016. Article by Konyukhov describing the experience.
  19. ^ a b "Balloon World Records". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016. Steve Fossett and Fedor Konyukhov, both sub-class AM-15.
  20. ^ "Fédération Aéronautique Internationale". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  21. ^ "Balloon Propane Tanks". Pilot Outlook. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2010-06-05. Propane tanks used in hot air balloons are mainly constructed of either aluminum or stainless steel. Most aluminum tanks are vertical 10-gallon cylinders (DOT 4E240), built primarily for forklift trucks.
  22. ^ "Propane Cylinders". Propane 101. Retrieved 2010-06-05. Cylinders in liquid service are commonly found on forklifts.
  23. ^ "The Envelope". Eballoon.org. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
  24. ^ "Head Balloons". Archived from the original on 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
  25. ^ "Machine Style 56500". Arch Sewing Company. 2003. Retrieved 2010-03-06. 2 Needle Double Lap Seaming Also called Felled Seam
  26. ^ Daniel Nachbar; Paul Stumpf (2008). "Construction basics". XLTA. Retrieved 2010-03-06. all of the seams are the "French fell" type
  27. ^ a b Annette Petrusso. "How Things Are Made: Hot Air Balloon, The Manufacturing Process". Advameg. Retrieved 2010-03-06. The double lap seam features two rows of parallel stitching along the folded over fabric seam. A few manufactures use a flat seam.
  28. ^ Jon Radowski (2010). "How To Sew A Hot Air Balloon!". Apex Balloons. Retrieved 2010-03-06. perfect French Fell hot air balloon seam
  29. ^ a b c "Cameron Balloons Fuel Tanks". Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  30. ^ "Mid-Atlantic Balloon Repair: Balloon Envelope Fabric Recoating". Retrieved 2007-03-07.
  31. ^ a b "Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons: Cloudhopper". Archived from the original on 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
  32. ^ "Avian Balloon Corporation: The Avian Envelope". Archived from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  33. ^ "The early years of sport ballooning". David M. Wesner. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  34. ^ "Airship and Blimp Resources: Balloon Envelope Design". Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  35. ^ "What's the Skinny on Racing Balloons?" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  36. ^ "Ballongflyg Upp & Ner". Archived from the original on 2010-11-13. Retrieved 2010-06-05.
  37. ^ "The Basket". Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  38. ^ Deramecourt, Arnaud (2002). "Experimental Buildings: Collapsible Basket". Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  39. ^ "Virgin Global Challenger: An Interview with Per Lindstrand". Balloon Life. 1997. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  40. ^ "The Burner". Retrieved 2011-02-14.
  41. ^ "Hot Air Dirigible Specifications". Archived from the original on 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  42. ^ "Example Balloon Configurations". Retrieved 2009-06-28.
  43. ^ a b "Lindstrand Fuel System: Burners & Tanks". Retrieved 2007-03-05.
  44. ^ "Nitrogen vs. Heat Tapes". Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  45. ^ "Flytec 3040 Digital Wireless Instrument Package". Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2006-12-26.
  46. ^ "Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Type certificate data sheet no. A33CE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  47. ^ "How to Calculate the Weight of Air and Model Hot Air Balloon Lift". Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  48. ^ "NASA: Montgolfiere balloon missions for Mars and Titan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  49. ^ Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries, p. 177, Rodney P. Carlisle, John Wiley and Sons, 2004, ISBN 0-471-24410-4.
  50. ^ Ministere du Commerce de L'Industrie des Postes et des Telegraphes (1902). Exposition Universelle Internationale de 1900 a Paris. Concours Internationaux D'Exercices Physiques et de Sports. Rapports Publies Sous La Direction de M. D. Merillon. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale. pp. 178, 250–275.
  51. ^ "Gas vs Hot". balloonfiesta.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  52. ^ "History Of Ballooning | National Balloon Museum". Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  53. ^ Amsbaugh, Allen. "Balloon Incidents". Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  54. ^ "Solar Balloons". Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  55. ^ "Brief history of Solar Ballooning – Aerocene". Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  56. ^ a b "The Difference Engine: Not all hot air". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  57. ^ a b c "Balloons in the American Civil War". 2015-01-09. Archived from the original on 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  58. ^ a b "Observation Balloons On The Western Front". 2010-12-02. Archived from the original on 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  59. ^ "Early military ballooning". 2013-05-19. Archived from the original on 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  60. ^ a b "How Do You Steer A Hot Air Balloon? (With Examples)". Hot Air Flight. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  61. ^ Annie (2021-05-21). "How Do Hot Air Balloons Not Catch On Fire? Read Here!". hotairflyer.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  62. ^ "Droplines | Crew Training". cazooee.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  63. ^ "Ballooning Basics". Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  64. ^ "Australian Ballooning Federation". Retrieved 2015-03-28.
  65. ^ "Hot Air FAQ: What regulations are in Place?". Archived from the original on 2010-01-10. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
  66. ^ "Professional Balloon Pilots". Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
  67. ^ Mohyeldin, Ayman; Gubash, Charlene; Newland, John (26 February 2013). "Foreign tourists killed in Egyptian balloon crash". World News on NBCNews.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  68. ^ "Balloon accident in Eloy, Arozona".
  69. ^ Pina, Rute; Lukiv, Jaroslav (21 June 2025). "At least eight dead in hot air balloon accident in Brazil". BBC.
  70. ^ Mendonca, Duarte; Brennan, Eve (21 June 2025). "At least 8 dead after hot air balloon accident in southern Brazil". CNN. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  • Needham, Joseph (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 2, Mechanical Engineering. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hot air balloon.
 
Library resources about
hot air balloons
  • Online books
  • Resources in your library
  • Resources in other libraries

General ballooning sites

[edit]
  • Hot Air Balloon Web Links
 

 

This article is about the hoofed mammal. For other uses, see Camel (disambiguation).

 

Camel
Temporal range: Pliocene–Recent[1]
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
 
↓
A one-humped camel
Dromedary
(Camelus dromedarius)
A shaggy two-humped camel
Bactrian camel
(Camelus bactrianus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Camelidae
Tribe: Camelini
Genus: Camelus
Linnaeus, 1758
Type species
Camelus dromedarius [6]
Linnaeus, 1758
Species
  • Camelus bactrianus
  • Camelus dromedarius
  • Camelus ferus
  • †Camelus grattardi (fossil)[2]
  • †Camelus knoblochi (fossil)[3]
  • †Syrian camel (fossil)
  • †Camelus sivalensis (fossil)[4]
  • †Camelus thomasi (fossil)[5]
Distribution of camels worldwide
Synonyms
List
  • Camellus Molina, 1782
  • Dromedarius Gloger, 1841

A camel (from Latin: camelus and Ancient Greek: κάμηλος (kamēlos) from Ancient Semitic: gāmāl[7][8]) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus Camelus that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provide food (camel milk and meat) and textiles (fiber and felt from camel hair). Camels are working animals especially suited to their desert habitat and are a vital means of transport for passengers and cargo. There are three surviving species of camel. The one-humped dromedary makes up 94% of the world's camel population, and the two-humped Bactrian camel makes up 6%. The wild Bactrian camel is a distinct species that is not ancestral to the domestic Bactrian camel, and is now critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 individuals.

The word camel is also used informally in a wider sense, where the more correct term is "camelid", to include all seven species of the family Camelidae: the true camels (the above three species), along with the "New World" camelids: the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco, and the vicuña, which belong to the separate tribe Lamini.[9] Camelids originated in North America during the Eocene, with the ancestor of modern camels, Paracamelus, migrating across the Bering land bridge into Asia during the late Miocene, around 6 million years ago.

Taxonomy

[edit]

Extant species

[edit]

Three species are extant:[10][11]

Genus Camelus – Linnaeus, 1758 – nine species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Bactrian camel

Camelus bactrianus
Linnaeus, 1758		 Domesticated; Central Asia, including the historical region of Bactria and Turkey.
Map of range		 Size:

Habitat:

Diet:		  NE 


Unknown Unknown
Dromedary / Arabian camel

Camelus dromedarius
Linnaeus, 1758		 Domesticated; the Middle East, Sahara Desert, and South Asia; introduced to Australia
Map of range		 Size:

Habitat:

Diet:		  NE 


Unknown Unknown
Wild Bactrian camel

Camelus ferus
Przewalski, 1878		 Remote areas of northwest China and Mongolia
Map of range		 Size:

Habitat:

Diet:		  EN 


Unknown Population declining

Biology

[edit]

The average life expectancy of a camel is 40 to 50 years.[12] A full-grown adult dromedary camel stands 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) at the shoulder and 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) at the hump.[13] Bactrian camels can be a foot taller. Camels can run at up to 65 km/h (40 mph) in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph).[14] Bactrian camels weigh 300 to 1,000 kg (660 to 2,200 lb) and dromedaries 300 to 600 kg (660 to 1,320 lb). The widening toes on a camel's hoof provide supplemental grip for varying soil sediments.[15]

The male dromedary camel has an organ called a dulla in his throat, a large, inflatable sac that he extrudes from his mouth when in rut to assert dominance and attract females. It resembles a long, swollen, pink tongue hanging out of the side of the camel's mouth.[16] Camels mate by having both male and female sitting on the ground, with the male mounting from behind.[17] The male usually ejaculates three or four times within a single mating session.[18] Camelids are the only ungulates to mate in a sitting position.[19]

Ecological and behavioral adaptations

[edit]

 

Camel humps store fat for when food is scarce. If a camel uses the fat, the hump becomes limp and droops.

It is a common myth that a camel stores water in its hump,[20] but the humps in fact are reservoirs of fatty tissue, which can be used as a reserve source of calories, not water. When this tissue is metabolized, it yields a greater mass of water than that of the fat processed. This fat metabolization, while releasing energy, causes water to evaporate from the lungs during respiration (as oxygen is required for the metabolic process): overall, there is a net decrease in water.[21][22]

A portrait of a camel with a visibly thick mane
A camel's thick coat is one of its many adaptations that aid it in desert-like conditions.
A leashed pack camel
A camel in Somalia, which has the world's largest camel population[23]

Camels have a series of physiological adaptations that allow them to withstand long periods of time without any external source of water.[24] The dromedary camel can drink as seldom as once every 10 days even under very hot conditions, and can lose up to 30% of its body mass due to dehydration.[25] They can drink as much as 30 imperial gallons (140 litres) at a time[26] but this is stored in the animal's bloodstream, not, as popularly believed, in its humps.[20]

Unlike other mammals, camels' red blood cells are oval rather than circular in shape. This facilitates the flow of red blood cells during dehydration[27] and makes them better at withstanding high osmotic variation without rupturing when drinking large amounts of water.[28][29]

Camels are able to withstand changes in body temperature and water consumption that would kill most other mammals. Their temperature ranges from 34 °C (93 °F) at dawn and steadily increases to 40 °C (104 °F) by sunset, before they cool off at night again.[24] In general, to compare between camels and the other livestock, camels lose only 1.3 liters of fluid intake every day while the other livestock lose 20 to 40 liters per day.[30] Maintaining the brain temperature within certain limits is critical for animals; to assist this, camels have a rete mirabile, a complex of arteries and veins lying very close to each other which utilizes countercurrent blood flow to cool blood flowing to the brain.[31] Camels rarely sweat, even when ambient temperatures reach 49 °C (120 °F).[32] Any sweat that does occur evaporates at the skin level rather than at the surface of their coat; the heat of vaporization therefore comes from body heat rather than ambient heat. Camels can withstand losing 25% of their body weight in water, whereas most other mammals can withstand only about 12–14% dehydration before cardiac failure results from circulatory disturbance.[29]

When the camel exhales, water vapor becomes trapped in their nostrils and is reabsorbed into the body as a means to conserve water.[33] Camels eating green herbage can ingest sufficient moisture in milder conditions to maintain their bodies' hydrated state without the need for drinking.[34]

Camels have three-chambered stomachs and perform rumination as part of their digestive process, even though they are not part of the ruminant sub-order.[35]

Domesticated camel calves lying in sternal recumbency, which aids heat loss

The camel's thick coat insulates it from the intense heat radiated from desert sand; a shorn camel must sweat 50% more to avoid overheating.[36] During the summer the coat becomes lighter in color, reflecting light as well as helping avoid sunburn.[29] The camel's long legs help by keeping its body farther from the ground, which can heat up to 70 °C (158 °F).[37][38] Dromedaries have a pad of thick tissue over the sternum called the pedestal. When the animal lies down in a sternal recumbent position, the pedestal raises the body from the hot surface and allows cooling air to pass under the body.[31]

Camels' mouths have a thick leathery lining, allowing them to chew thorny desert plants. Long eyelashes and ear hairs, together with nostrils that can close, form a barrier against sand. If sand gets lodged in their eyes, they can dislodge it using their translucent third eyelid (also known as the nictitating membrane). The camels' gait and widened feet help them move without sinking into the sand.[37][39]

The kidneys and intestines of a camel are very efficient at reabsorbing water. Camels' kidneys have a 1:4 cortex to medulla ratio.[40] Thus, the medullary part of a camel's kidney occupies twice as much area as a cow's kidney. Secondly, renal corpuscles have a smaller diameter, which reduces surface area for filtration. These two major anatomical characteristics enable camels to conserve water and limit the volume of urine in extreme desert conditions.[41] Camel urine comes out as a thick syrup, and camel faeces are so dry that they do not require drying when used to fuel fires.[42][43][44][45]

The camel immune system differs from those of other mammals. Normally, the Y-shaped antibody molecules consist of two heavy (or long) chains along the length of the Y, and two light (or short) chains at each tip of the Y.[46] Camels, in addition to these, also have antibodies made of only two heavy chains, a trait that makes them smaller and more durable.[46] These "heavy-chain-only" antibodies, discovered in 1993, are thought to have developed 50 million years ago, after camelids split from ruminants and pigs.[46]

The parasite Trypanosoma evansi causes the disease surra in camels.[47]: 2 

Genetics

[edit]

The karyotypes of different camelid species have been studied earlier by many groups,[48][49][50][51][52][53] but no agreement on chromosome nomenclature of camelids has been reached. A 2007 study flow sorted camel chromosomes, building on the fact that camels have 37 pairs of chromosomes (2n=74), and found that the karyotype consisted of one metacentric, three submetacentric, and 32 acrocentric autosomes. The Y is a small metacentric chromosome, while the X is a large metacentric chromosome.[54]

Skull of an F1 hybrid camel, Museum of Osteology, Oklahoma

The hybrid camel, a hybrid between Bactrian and dromedary camels, has one hump, though it has an indentation 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) deep that divides the front from the back. The hybrid is 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) at the shoulder and 2.32 m (7 ft 7 in) tall at the hump. It weighs an average of 650 kg (1,430 lb) and can carry around 400 to 450 kg (880 to 990 lb), which is more than either the dromedary or Bactrian can.[55]

According to molecular data, the wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus) separated from the domestic Bactrian camel (C. bactrianus) about 1 million years ago.[56][57] New World and Old World camelids diverged about 11 million years ago.[58] In spite of this, these species can hybridize and produce viable offspring.[59] The cama is a camel-llama hybrid bred by scientists to see how closely related the parent species are.[60] Scientists collected semen from a camel via an artificial vagina and inseminated a llama after stimulating ovulation with gonadotrophin injections.[61] The cama is halfway in size between a camel and a llama and lacks a hump. It has ears intermediate between those of camels and llamas, longer legs than the llama, and partially cloven hooves.[62][63] Like the mule, camas are sterile, despite both parents having the same number of chromosomes.[61]

Evolution

[edit]

The earliest known camel, called Protylopus, lived in North America 40 to 50 million years ago (during the Eocene).[18] It was about the size of a rabbit and lived in the open woodlands of what is now South Dakota.[64][65] By 35 million years ago, the Poebrotherium was the size of a goat and had many more traits similar to camels and llamas.[66][67] The hoofed Stenomylus, which walked on the tips of its toes, also existed around this time, and the long-necked Aepycamelus evolved in the Miocene.[68] The split between the tribes Camelini, which contains modern camels and Lamini, modern llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos, is estimated to have occurred over 16 million years ago.[69]

The ancestor of modern camels, Paracamelus, migrated into Eurasia from North America via Beringia during the late Miocene, between 7.5 and 6.5 million years ago.[70][71][72] During the Pleistocene, around 3 to 1 million years ago, the North American Camelidae spread to South America as part of the Great American Interchange via the newly formed Isthmus of Panama, where they gave rise to guanacos and related animals.[18][64][65] Populations of Paracamelus continued to exist in the North American Arctic into the Early Pleistocene.[71][73] This creature is estimated to have stood around nine feet (2.7 metres) tall. The Bactrian camel diverged from the dromedary about 1 million years ago, according to the fossil record.[74]

The last camel native to North America was Camelops hesternus, which vanished along with horses, short-faced bears, mammoths and mastodons, ground sloths, sabertooth cats, and many other megafauna as part of the Quaternary extinction event, coinciding with the migration of humans from Asia at the end of the Pleistocene, around 13–11,000 years ago.[75][76]

An extinct giant camel species, Camelus knoblochi roamed Asia during the Late Pleistocene, before becoming extinct around 20,000 years ago.[77]

  • A drawing of two early camels
    Stenomylus illustration
  • Stenomylus skeleton
    Stenomylus skeleton
  • Poebrotherium skeleton
    Poebrotherium skeleton
  • Procamelus skull
    Procamelus skull
  • Camelops hesternus, the last true camel native to North America

Domestication

[edit]
A camel carrying supplies, Tang dynasty
A man on a camel, Tang dynasty
Woman on a camel breastfeeding, Tang dynasty

Like horses, camels originated in North America and eventually spread across Beringia to Asia. They survived in the Old World, and eventually humans domesticated them and spread them globally. Along with many other megafauna in North America, the original wild camels were wiped out during the spread of the first indigenous peoples of the Americas from Asia into North America, 10 to 12,000 years ago; although fossils have never been associated with definitive evidence of hunting.[75][76]

Most camels surviving today are domesticated.[45][78] Although feral populations exist in Australia, India and Kazakhstan, wild camels survive only in the wild Bactrian camel population of the Gobi Desert.[12]

History

[edit]

When humans first domesticated camels is disputed. Dromedaries may have first been domesticated by humans in Somalia or South Arabia sometime during the 3rd millennium BC, the Bactrian in central Asia around 2,500 BC,[18][79][80][81] as at Shar-i Sokhta (also known as the Burnt City), Iran.[82] A study from 2016, which genotyped and used world-wide sequencing of modern and ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), suggested that they were initially domesticated in the southeast Arabian Peninsula,[83] with the Bactrian type later being domesticated around Central Asia.[84]

Martin Heide's 2010 work on the domestication of the camel tentatively concludes that humans had domesticated the Bactrian camel by at least the middle of the third millennium somewhere east of the Zagros Mountains, with the practice then moving into Mesopotamia. Heide suggests that mentions of camels "in the patriarchal narratives may refer, at least in some places, to the Bactrian camel", while noting that the camel is not mentioned in relationship to Canaan.[85] Heide and Joris Peters reasserted that conclusion in their 2021 study on the subject.[86]

In 2009–2013, excavations in the Timna Valley by Lidar Sapir-Hen and Erez Ben-Yosef discovered what may be the earliest domestic camel bones yet found in Israel or even outside the Arabian Peninsula, dating to around 930 BC. This garnered considerable media coverage, as it is strong evidence that the stories of Abraham, Jacob, Esau, and Joseph were written after this time.[87][88]

The existence of camels in Mesopotamia and Arabia but not in Syria is not a new idea. The historian Richard Bulliet thought that although camels were occasionally mentioned in the Bible, this didn't mean that the domestic camels were common in the Holy Land at that time.[89] The archaeologist William F. Albright, writing even earlier, saw camels in the Bible as an anachronism.[90]

The official report by Sapir-Hen and Ben-Joseph says:

The introduction of the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) as a pack animal to the southern Levant ... substantially facilitated trade across the vast deserts of Arabia, promoting both economic and social change (e.g., Kohler 1984; Borowski 1998: 112–116; Jasmin 2005). This ... has generated extensive discussion regarding the date of the earliest domestic camel in the southern Levant (and beyond) (e.g., Albright 1949: 207; Epstein 1971: 558–584; Bulliet 1975; Zarins 1989; Köhler-Rollefson 1993; Uerpmann and Uerpmann 2002; Jasmin 2005; 2006; Heide 2010; Rosen and Saidel 2010; Grigson 2012). Most scholars today agree that the dromedary was exploited as a pack animal sometime in the early Iron Age (not before the 12th century [BC])

and concludes:

Current data from copper smelting sites of the Arabah Valley enable us to pinpoint the introduction of domestic camels to the southern Levant more precisely based on stratigraphic contexts associated with an extensive suite of radiocarbon dates. The data indicate that this event occurred not earlier than the last third of the 10th century [BC] and most probably during this time. The coincidence of this event with a major reorganization of the copper industry of the region—attributed to the results of the campaign of Pharaoh Shoshenq I—raises the possibility that the two were connected, and that camels were introduced as part of the efforts to improve efficiency by facilitating trade.[88]

  • A camel harnessed to a cart loaded with branches and twigs
    A camel serving as a draft animal in Pakistan (2009)
  • A painting of a man sitting on a camel and playing the drums
    A camel in a ceremonial procession, its rider playing kettledrums, Mughal Empire (c. 1840)
  • Petroglyph of a camel, Negev, southern Israel (prior to c. 5300 BC)
    Petroglyph of a camel, Negev, southern Israel (prior to c. 5300 BC)
  • Joseph Sells Grain by Bartholomeus Breenbergh (1655), showing camel with rider at left
    Joseph Sells Grain by Bartholomeus Breenbergh (1655), showing camel with rider at left

Textiles

[edit]
Main article: Camel hair

Desert tribes and Mongolian nomads use camel hair for tents, yurts, clothing, bedding and accessories. Camels have outer guard hairs and soft inner down, and the fibers may also be sorted by color and age of the animal. The guard hairs can be felted for use as waterproof coats for the herdsmen, while the softer hair is used for premium goods.[91] The fiber can be spun for use in weaving or made into yarns for hand knitting or crochet. Pure camel hair is recorded as being used for western garments from the 17th century onwards, and from the 19th century a mixture of wool and camel hair was used.[92]

Military uses

[edit]
Main article: Camel cavalry
A special BSF camel contingent, Republic Day Parade, New Delhi (2004)
A painting of soldiers on camels
Camel Corps at Magdhaba, Egypt, 23 December 1916, by Harold Septimus Power (1925)

By at least 1200 BC the first camel saddles had appeared, and Bactrian camels could be ridden. The first saddle was positioned to the back of the camel, and control of the Bactrian camel was exercised by means of a stick. However, between 500 and 100 BC, Bactrian camels came into military use. New saddles, which were inflexible and bent, were put over the humps and divided the rider's weight over the animal. In the seventh century BC the military Arabian saddle evolved, which again improved the saddle design slightly.[93][94]

Military forces have used camel cavalries in wars throughout Africa, the Middle East, and their use continues into the modern-day within the Border Security Force (BSF) of India. The first documented use of camel cavalries occurred in the Battle of Qarqar in 853 BC.[95][96][97] Armies have also used camels as freight animals instead of horses and mules.[98][99]

The East Roman Empire used auxiliary forces known as dromedarii, whom the Romans recruited in desert provinces.[100][101] The camels were used mostly in combat because of their ability to scare off horses at close range (horses are afraid of the camels' scent),[19] a quality famously employed by the Achaemenid Persians when fighting Lydia in the Battle of Thymbra (547 BC).[55][102][103]

19th and 20th centuries

[edit]
A photo of Bulgarian military-transport camels in 1912
A camel caravan of the Bulgarian military during the First Balkan War, 1912

The United States Army established the U.S. Camel Corps, stationed in California, in the 19th century.[19] One may still see stables at the Benicia Arsenal in Benicia, California, where they nowadays serve as the Benicia Historical Museum.[104] Though the experimental use of camels was seen as a success (John B. Floyd, Secretary of War in 1858, recommended that funds be allocated towards obtaining a thousand more camels), the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 saw the end of the Camel Corps: Texas became part of the Confederacy, and most of the camels were left to wander away into the desert.[99]

France created a méhariste camel corps in 1912 as part of the Armée d'Afrique in the Sahara[105] in order to exercise greater control over the camel-riding Tuareg and Arab insurgents, as previous efforts to defeat them on foot had failed.[106] The Free French Camel Corps fought during World War II, and camel-mounted units remained in service until the end of French rule over Algeria in 1962.[107]

In 1916, the British created the Imperial Camel Corps. It was originally used to fight the Senussi, but was later used in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I. The Imperial Camel Corps comprised infantrymen mounted on camels for movement across desert, though they dismounted at battle sites and fought on foot. After July 1918, the Corps began to become run down, receiving no new reinforcements, and was formally disbanded in 1919.[108]

In World War I, the British Army also created the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps, which consisted of a group of Egyptian camel drivers and their camels. The Corps supported British war operations in Sinai, Palestine, and Syria by transporting supplies to the troops.[109][110][111]

The Somaliland Camel Corps was created by colonial authorities in British Somaliland in 1912; it was disbanded in 1944.[112]

Bactrian camels were used by Romanian forces during World War II in the Caucasian region.[113] At the same period the Soviet units operating around Astrakhan in 1942 adopted local camels as draft animals due to shortage of trucks and horses, and kept them even after moving out of the area. Despite severe losses, some of these camels ended up as far west as to Berlin itself.[114]

The Bikaner Camel Corps of British India fought alongside the British Indian Army in World Wars I and II.[115]

The Tropas Nómadas (Nomad Troops) were an auxiliary regiment of Sahrawi tribesmen serving in the colonial army in Spanish Sahara (today Western Sahara). Operational from the 1930s until the end of the Spanish presence in the territory in 1975, the Tropas Nómadas were equipped with small arms and led by Spanish officers. The unit guarded outposts and sometimes conducted patrols on camelback.[116][117]

21st century

[edit]

The annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival is held in Saudi Arabia. In addition to camel racing and camel milk tasting, the festival holds a camel "beauty pageant" with prize money of $57m (£40m). In 2018, 12 camels were disqualified from the beauty contest after their owners were found to have injected them with botox.[118] In a similar incident in 2021, over 40 camels were disqualified.[119]

Food uses

[edit]

Camel meat and milk are foods that are found in many cuisines, typically in Middle Eastern, North African and some Australian cuisines.[120][121][122][123] Camels provide food in the form of meat and milk.[124]

Dairy

[edit]
Main article: Camel milk
Camels at the Khan and old bridge, Lajjun, Ottoman Syria (now in Israel) - 1870s drawing
A camel calf nursing on camel milk

Camel milk is a staple food of desert nomad tribes and is sometimes considered a meal itself; a nomad can live on only camel milk for almost a month.[19][42][125][126]

Camel milk can readily be made into yogurt, but can only be made into butter if it is soured first, churned, and a clarifying agent is then added.[19] Until recently, camel milk could not be made into camel cheese because rennet was unable to coagulate the milk proteins to allow the collection of curds.[127] Developing less wasteful uses of the milk, the FAO commissioned Professor J.P. Ramet of the École Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires, who was able to produce curdling by the addition of calcium phosphate and vegetable rennet in the 1990s.[128] The cheese produced from this process has low levels of cholesterol and is easy to digest, even for the lactose intolerant.[129][130]

Camel milk can also be made into ice cream.[131][132]

Meat

[edit]

 

A Somali camel meat and rice dish
Camel meat pulao, from Pakistan

Approximately 3.3 million camels and camelids are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide.[133] A camel carcass can provide a substantial amount of meat. The male dromedary carcass can weigh 300–400 kg (661–882 lb), while the carcass of a male Bactrian can weigh up to 650 kg (1,433 lb). The carcass of a female dromedary weighs less than the male, ranging between 250 and 350 kg (550 and 770 lb).[18] The brisket, ribs and loin are among the preferred parts, and the hump is considered a delicacy.[134] The hump contains "white and sickly fat", which can be used to make the khli (preserved meat) of mutton, beef, or camel.[135] On the other hand, camel milk and meat are rich in protein, vitamins, glycogen, and other nutrients making them essential in the diet of many people. From chemical composition to meat quality, the dromedary camel is the preferred breed for meat production. It does well even in arid areas due to its unusual physiological behaviors and characteristics, which include tolerance to extreme temperatures, radiation from the sun, water paucity, rugged landscape and low vegetation.[136] Camel meat is reported to taste like coarse beef, but older camels can prove to be very tough,[13][18] although camel meat becomes tenderer the more it is cooked.[137]

Camel is one of the animals that can be ritually slaughtered and divided into three portions (one for the home, one for extended family/social networks, and one for those who cannot afford to slaughter an animal themselves) for the qurban of Eid al-Adha.[138][139]

The Abu Dhabi Officers' Club serves a camel burger mixed with beef or lamb fat in order to improve the texture and taste.[140] In Karachi, Pakistan, some restaurants prepare nihari from camel meat.[141] Specialist camel butchers provide expert cuts, with the hump considered the most popular.[142]

Camel meat has been eaten for centuries. It has been recorded by ancient Greek writers as an available dish at banquets in ancient Persia, usually roasted whole.[143] The Roman emperor Heliogabalus enjoyed camel's heel.[42] Camel meat is mainly eaten in certain regions, including Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and other arid regions where alternative forms of protein may be limited or where camel meat has had a long cultural history.[18][42][134] Camel blood is also consumable, as is the case among pastoralists in northern Kenya, where camel blood is drunk with milk and acts as a key source of iron, vitamin D, salts and minerals.[18][134][144]

A 2005 report issued jointly by the Saudi Ministry of Health and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details four cases of human bubonic plague resulting from the ingestion of raw camel liver.[145]

Camel meat is also occasionally found in Australian cuisine: for example, a camel lasagna is available in Alice Springs.[143][144] Australia has exported camel meat, primarily to the Middle East but also to Europe and the US, for many years.[146] The meat is very popular among East African Australians, such as Somalis, and other Australians have also been buying it. The feral nature of the animals means they produce a different type of meat to farmed camels in other parts of the world,[121] and it is sought after because it is disease-free, and a unique genetic group. Demand is outstripping supply, and governments are being urged not to cull the camels, but redirect the cost of the cull into developing the market. Australia has seven camel dairies, which produce milk, cheese and skincare products in addition to meat.[147]

Religion

[edit]

Islam

[edit]
Main article: Animals in Islam

Muslims consider camel meat halal (Arabic: حلال, 'allowed'). However, according to some Islamic schools of thought, a state of impurity is brought on by the consumption of it. Consequently, these schools hold that Muslims must perform wudhu (ablution) before the next time they pray after eating camel meat.[148] Also, some Islamic schools of thought consider it haram (Arabic: حرام, 'forbidden') for a Muslim to perform Salat in places where camels lie, as it is said to be a dwelling place of the Shaytan (Arabic: شيطان, 'Devil').[148] According to Abu Yusuf (d.798), the urine of camels may be used for medical treatment if necessary, but according to Abū Ḥanīfah, the drinking of camel urine is discouraged.[149]

Islamic texts contain several stories featuring camels. In the story of the people of Thamud, the prophet Salih miraculously brings forth a naqat (Arabic: ناقة, 'milch-camel') out of a rock. After Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina (the Hijrah), he allowed his she-camel to roam there; the location where the camel stopped to rest determined the location where he would build his house in Medina.[150]

Judaism

[edit]
See also: Food and drink prohibitions

According to Jewish tradition, camel meat and milk are not kosher.[151] Camels possess only one of the two kosher criteria; although they chew their cud, they do not have cloven hooves: "But these you shall not eat among those that bring up the cud and those that have a cloven hoof: the camel, because it brings up its cud, but does not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you."[152]

The Palestinian Muslim Makhamara clan in Yatta, who claim descent from Jews, reportedly avoid eating camel meat, a practice cited as evidence of their Jewish origins.[153][154]

Cultural depictions

[edit]

What may be the oldest carvings of camels were discovered in 2018 in Saudi Arabia. They were analysed by researchers from several scientific disciplines and, in 2021, were estimated to be 7,000 to 8,000 years old.[155] The dating of rock art is made difficult by the lack of organic material in the carvings that may be tested, so the researchers attempting to date them tested animal bones found associated with the carvings, assessed erosion patterns, and analysed tool marks in order to determine a correct date for the creation of the sculptures. This Neolithic dating would make the carvings significantly older than Stonehenge (5,000 years old) and the Egyptian pyramids at Giza (4,500 years old) and it predates estimates for the domestication of camels.

  • Shadda (cover, detail), Karabagh region, southwest Caucasus, early 19th century
    Shadda (cover, detail), Karabagh region, southwest Caucasus, early 19th century
  • Vessel in the form of a recumbent camel with jugs, 250 BC – 224 AD, Brooklyn Museum
    Vessel in the form of a recumbent camel with jugs, 250 BC – 224 AD, Brooklyn Museum
  • Maru Ragini (Dhola and Maru Riding on a Camel), c. 1750, Brooklyn Museum
    Maru Ragini (Dhola and Maru Riding on a Camel), c. 1750, Brooklyn Museum
  • The Magi Journeying (Les rois mages en voyage)—James Tissot, c. 1886, Brooklyn Museum
    The Magi Journeying (Les rois mages en voyage)—James Tissot, c. 1886, Brooklyn Museum
  • How the Camel Got His Hump (From Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories)
    How the Camel Got His Hump (From Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories)

Distribution and numbers

[edit]
A view into a canyon: many camels gathering around a watering hole
Camels in the Guelta d'Archei, in northeastern Chad

There are approximately 14 million camels alive as of 2010, with 90% being dromedaries.[156] Dromedaries alive today are domesticated animals (mostly living in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, Maghreb, Middle East and South Asia). The Horn region alone has the largest concentration of camels in the world,[23] where the dromedaries constitute an important part of local nomadic life. They provide nomadic people in Somalia[18] and Ethiopia with milk, food, and transportation.[126][157][158][159]

A world map with large camel populations marked
Commercial camel market headcount in 2003

Over one million dromedary camels are estimated to be feral in Australia, descended from those introduced as a method of transport in the 19th and early 20th centuries.[160] This population is growing about 8% per year;[161] it was estimated at 700,000 in 2008.[144][156][162] Representatives of the Australian government have culled more than 100,000 of the animals in part because the camels use too much of the limited resources needed by sheep farmers.[163]

A small population of introduced camels, dromedaries and Bactrians, wandered through Southwestern United States after having been imported in the 19th century as part of the U.S. Camel Corps experiment. When the project ended, they were used as draft animals in mines and escaped or were released. Twenty-five U.S. camels were bought and exported to Canada during the Cariboo Gold Rush.[99]

The Bactrian camel is, as of 2010, reduced to an estimated 1.4 million animals, most of which are domesticated.[45][156][164] The Wild Bactrian camel is the only truly wild (as opposed to feral) camel in the world. It is a distinct species that is not ancestral to the domestic Bactrian camel. The wild camels are critically endangered and number approximately 950, inhabiting the Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts in China and Mongolia.[165]

 

See also

[edit]
  • Afghan cameleers in Australia
  • Australian feral camel
  • Camel howdah
  • Camel milk
  • Camel racing
  • Camel train (caravan)
  • Camel urine
  • Camel wrestling
  • Camelops
  • Syrian camel
  • Dromedary
  • List of animals with humps
  • Xerocole
 

References

[edit]

Notes

  1. ^ "Fossilworks: Camelus". fossilworks.org. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  2. ^ Geraads, D.; Barr, W. A.; Reed, D.; Laurin, M.; Alemseged, Z. (2019). "New Remains of Camelus grattardi (Mammalia, Camelidae) from the Plio-Pleistocene of Ethiopia and the Phylogeny of the Genus" (PDF). Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 28 (2): 359–370. doi:10.1007/s10914-019-09489-2. ISSN 1064-7554. S2CID 209331892. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-10-03.
  3. ^ Titov, V. V. (2008). "Habitat conditions for Camelus knoblochi and factors in its extinction". Quaternary International. 179 (1): 120–125. Bibcode:2008QuInt.179..120T. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2007.10.022.
  4. ^ Falconer, Hugh (1868). Palæontological Memoirs and Notes of the Late Hugh Falconer: Fauna antiqua sivalensis. R. Hardwicke. p. 231.
  5. ^ Martini, P.; Geraads, D. (2019). "Camelus thomasi Pomel, 1893 from the Pleistocene type-locality Tighennif (Algeria). Comparisons with modern Camelus". Geodiversitas. 40 (1): 115–134. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2018v40a5.
  6. ^ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  7. ^ "camel". The New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press, Inc. 2005.
  8. ^ Herper, Douglas. "camel". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  9. ^ Bornstein, Set (2010). "Important ectoparasites of Alpaca (Vicugna pacos)". Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. 52 (Suppl 1) S17. doi:10.1186/1751-0147-52-S1-S17. ISSN 1751-0147. PMC 2994293.
  10. ^ Burger, P. A.; Ciani, E.; Faye, B. (2019-09-18). "Old World camels in a modern world – a balancing act between conservation and genetic improvement". Animal Genetics. 50 (6): 598–612. doi:10.1111/age.12858. PMC 6899786. PMID 31532019.
  11. ^ Chuluunbat, B.; Charruau, P.; Silbermayr, K.; Khorloojav, T.; Burger, P. A. (2014). "Genetic diversity and population structure of Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus)". Anim Genet. 45 (4): 550–558. Bibcode:2014AnGen..45..550C. doi:10.1111/age.12158. PMC 4171754. PMID 24749721.
  12. ^ a b "Bactrian Camel: Camelus bactrianus". National Geographic. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  13. ^ a b "The amazing characteristics of the camels". Camello Safari. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  14. ^ "How Fast Can Camels Run and How Long Can They Run For?". Big Site of Amazing Facts. 17 April 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  15. ^ Fayed, R. H. "Adaptation of the Camel to Desert environment". ESARF. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  16. ^ Abu-Zidana, Fikri M.; Eida, Hani O.; Hefnya, Ashraf F.; Bashira, Masoud O.; Branickia, Frank (18 December 2011). "Camel bite injuries in United Arab Emirates: A 6 year prospective study". Injury. 43 (9): 1617–1620. doi:10.1016/j.injury.2011.10.039. PMID 22186231. The male mature camel has a specialized inflatable diverticulum of the soft palate called the "Dulla". and During rutting the Dulla enlarges on filling with air from the trachea until it hangs out of the mouth of the camel and comes to resemble a pink ball. This occurs in only the one-humped camel. Copious saliva turns to foam covering the mouth as the male gurgles and makes metallic sounds. [6 cites to 5 references omitted]
  17. ^ Two Male Camels Fighting Over One Female. Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-19. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mukasa-Mugerwa, E. (1981). The Camel (Camelus Dromedarius): A Bibliographical Review. International Livestock Centre for Africa Monograph. Vol. 5. Ethiopia: International Livestock Centre for Africa. pp. 1, 3, 20–21, 65, 67–68.
  19. ^ a b c d e "Bactrian & Dromedary Camels". Factsheets. San Diego Zoo Global Library. March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  20. ^ a b "How much water does a camel's hump hold?". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
  21. ^ Vann Jones, Kerstin. "What secrets lie within the camel's hump?". Sweden: Lund University. Archived from the original on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  22. ^ Rastogi, S. C. (1971). Essentials Of Animal Physiology. New Age International. pp. 180–181. ISBN 9788122412796.
  23. ^ a b Bernstein, William J. (2009). A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World. Grove Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780802144164.
  24. ^ a b Roberts, Michael Bliss Vaughan (1986). Biology: A Functional Approach. Nelson Thornes. pp. 234–235, 241. ISBN 9780174480198.
  25. ^ UNESCO. "The Camel from Tradition To Modern Times" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-11-09.
  26. ^ Crupi, Sarah (2021-04-06). "Truth or Tail: A camel's hump". www.clevelandzoosociety.org. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
  27. ^ Eitan, A; Aloni, B; Livne, A (1976). "Unique properties of the camel erythrocyte membraneII. Organization of membrane proteins". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes. 426 (4): 647–58. doi:10.1016/0005-2736(76)90129-2. PMID 816376.
  28. ^ "Dromedary". Hannover Zoo. Archived from the original on 25 October 2005. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
  29. ^ a b c Halpern, E. Anette (1999). "Camel". In Mares; Michael A. (eds.). Deserts. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 96–97. ISBN 9780806131467. Archived from the original on 2016-04-29.
  30. ^ Breulmann, M., Böer, B., Wernery, U., Wernery, R., El Shaer, H., Alhadrami, G., ... Norton, J. (2007). "The Camel From Tradition to Modern Times" (PDF). UNESCO DOHA OFFICE.
  31. ^ a b Inside Nature's Giants. Channel 4 (UK) documentary. Transmitted 30 August 2011
  32. ^ "Arabian (Dromedary) Camel". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  33. ^ Lewis, Paul (12 July 1981). "A Pilgrimage To A Mystic's Hermitage In Algeria". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  34. ^ "Camels, llamas and alpacas". A manual for primary animal health care worker. FAO Animal Health Manual. FAO Agriculture and Consumer Protection. 1994. Archived from the original on 2008-07-27.
  35. ^ Fowler, M.E. (2010). Medicine and Surgery of Camelids, Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell.
  36. ^ Schmidt-Nielsen, K. (1964). Desert Animals: Physiological Problems of Heat and Water. New York: Oxford University Press (OUP). Cited in "Coat of fur on the camel". Davidson College. Archived from the original on February 25, 2003.
  37. ^ a b Bronx Zoo. "Camel Adaptations". Wildlife Conservation Society. Archived from the original (Flash) on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  38. ^ Rundel, Philip Wilson; Gibson, Arthur C. (30 September 2005). "Adaptations of Mojave Desert Animals". Ecological Communities And Processes in a Mojave Desert Ecosystem: Rock Valley, Nevada. Cambridge University Press (CUP). p. 130. ISBN 9780521021418.
  39. ^ Silverstein, Alvin; Silverstein, Virginia B; Silverstein, Virginia; Silverstein Nunn, Laura (2008). Adaptation. Twenty-First Century Books. pp. 42–43. ISBN 9780822534341.
  40. ^ "Morphometric analysis of heart, kidneys and adrenal glands in dromedary camel calves (PDF Download Available)". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  41. ^ Rehan S and AS Qureshi, 2006. Microscopic evaluation of the heart, kidneys and adrenal glands of one-humped camel calves (Camelus dromedarius) using semi automated image analysis system. J Camel Pract Res. 13(2): 123
  42. ^ a b c d Davidson, Alan; Davidson, Jane (15 October 2006). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press, US. pp. 68, 129, 266, 762. ISBN 978-0192806819.
  43. ^ "Kidneys and Concentrated Urine". Temperature and Water Relations in Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius). Davidson College. Archived from the original on February 25, 2003.
  44. ^ "Fun facts about the Camel". The Jungle Store. Archived from the original on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  45. ^ a b c Fedewa, Jennifer L. (2000). "Camelus bactrianus". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  46. ^ a b c Koenig, R. (2007). "'Camelized' Antibodies Make Waves". Veterinary Medicine. Science. 318 (5855): 1373. doi:10.1126/science.318.5855.1373. PMID 18048665. S2CID 71028674.
  47. ^ Sazmand, Alireza; Joachim, Anja (2017). "Parasitic diseases of camels in Iran (1931–2017) – a literature review". Parasite. 24. EDP Sciences: 1–15. doi:10.1051/parasite/2017024. ISSN 1776-1042. PMC 5479402. PMID 28617666. S2CID 13783061. Article Number 21.
  48. ^ Taylor, K.M.; Hungerford, D.A.; Snyder, R.L.; Ulmer Jr., F.A. (1968). "Uniformity of karyotypes in the Camelidae". Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 7 (1): 8–15. doi:10.1159/000129967. PMID 5659175.
  49. ^ Koulischer, L; Tijskens, J; Mortelmans, J (1971). "Mammalian cytogenetics. IV. The chromosomes of two male Camelidae: Camelus bactrianus and Lama vicugna". Acta Zoologica et Pathologica Antverpiensia. 52: 89–92. PMID 5163286.
  50. ^ Bianchi, N. O.; Larramendy, M. L.; Bianchi, M. S.; Cortés, L. (1986). "Karyological conservatism in South American camelids". Experientia. 42 (6): 622–4. doi:10.1007/BF01955563. S2CID 23440910.
  51. ^ Bunch, Thomas D.; Foote, Warren C.; Maciulis, Alma (1985). "Chromosome banding pattern homologies and NORs for the Bactrian camel, guanaco, and llama". Journal of Heredity. 76 (2): 115–8. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a110034.
  52. ^ O'Brien, Stephen J.; Menninger, Joan C.; Nash, William G., eds. (2006). Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes. New York: Wiley-Liss. p. 547. ISBN 978-0-471-35015-6.
  53. ^ Di Berardino, D.; Nicodemo, D.; Coppola, G.; King, A.W.; Ramunno, L.; Cosenza, G.F.; Iannuzzi, L.; Di Meo, G.P.; et al. (2006). "Cytogenetic characterization of alpaca (Lama pacos, fam. Camelidae) prometaphase chromosomes". Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 115 (2): 138–44. doi:10.1159/000095234. PMID 17065795. S2CID 21378633.
  54. ^ Balmus, Gabriel; Trifonov, Vladimir A.; Biltueva, Larisa S.; O'Brien, Patricia C.M.; Alkalaeva, Elena S.; Fu, Beiyuan; Skidmore, Julian A.; Allen, Twink; et al. (2007). "Cross-species chromosome painting among camel, cattle, pig and human: further insights into the putative Cetartiodactyla ancestral karyotype". Chromosome Research. 15 (4): 499–515. doi:10.1007/s10577-007-1154-x. PMID 17671843. S2CID 23226488.
  55. ^ a b Potts, Danel. "Bactrian Camels and Bactrian-Dromedary Hybrids". Silkroad. 3 (1). Archived from the original on 2016-06-23. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  56. ^ Mohandesan, Elmira; Fitak, Robert R.; Corander, Jukka; Yadamsuren, Adiya; Chuluunbat, Battsetseg; Abdelhadi, Omer; Raziq, Abdul; Nagy, Peter; Stalder, Gabrielle (30 August 2017). "Mitogenome Sequencing in the Genus Camelus Reveals Evidence for Purifying Selection and Long-term Divergence between Wild and Domestic Bactrian Camels". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 9970. Bibcode:2017NatSR...7.9970M. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-08995-8. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 5577142. PMID 28855525.
  57. ^ Ji, R; Cui, P; Ding, F; Geng, J; Gao, H; Zhang, H; Yu, J; Hu, S; Meng, H (August 2009). "Monophyletic origin of domestic bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) and its evolutionary relationship with the extant wild camel (Camelus bactrianus ferus)". Animal Genetics. 40 (4): 377–382. Bibcode:2009AnGen..40..377J. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.2008.01848.x. ISSN 0268-9146. PMC 2721964. PMID 19292708.
  58. ^ Stanley, H. F.; Kadwell, M.; Wheeler, J. C. (1994). "Molecular Evolution of the Family Camelidae: A Mitochondrial DNA Study". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 256 (1345): 1–6. Bibcode:1994RSPSB.256....1S. doi:10.1098/rspb.1994.0041. PMID 8008753. S2CID 40857282.
  59. ^ Skidmore, J. A.; Billah, M.; Binns, M.; Short, R. V.; Allen, W. R. (1999). "Hybridizing Old and New World camelids: Camelus dromedarius x Lama guanicoe". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 266 (1420): 649–56. doi:10.1098/rspb.1999.0685. PMC 1689826. PMID 10331286.
  60. ^ "Meet Rama the cama ..." BBC. 21 January 1998. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  61. ^ a b Fahmy, Miral (21 March 2002). "'Cama' camel/llama hybrids born in UAE research centre". Science in the News. The Royal Society of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  62. ^ Campbell, Duncan (15 July 2002). "Bad karma for cross llama without a hump". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  63. ^ "Joy for world's first camel and llama cross". Metro UK. 6 April 2008. Archived from the original on 25 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  64. ^ a b Harington, C. R. (June 1997). "Ice Age Yukon and Alaskan Camels". Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre. Government of Yukon, Department of Tourism and Culture, Museums Unit. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  65. ^ a b Bernstein, William J. (6 May 2009). A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World. Grove Press. pp. 54–55. ISBN 9780802144164.
  66. ^ "Poebrotherium" (PDF). North Dakota Industrial Commission Department of Mineral Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  67. ^ "Fossil camel skull (Poebrotherium sp.)". Science Buzz. Science Museum of Minnesota. January 2004. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  68. ^ Kindersley, Dorling (2 June 2008). "Camels". Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life. Penguin. pp. 266–7. ISBN 9780756682415.
  69. ^ Lynch, Sinéad; Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R.; Balcarcel, Ana (December 2020). "Description of a fossil camelid from the Pleistocene of Argentina, and a cladistic analysis of the Camelinae". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 139 (1): 5. Bibcode:2020SwJP..139....8L. doi:10.1186/s13358-020-00208-6. ISSN 1664-2376. PMC 7590954. PMID 33133011.
  70. ^ Heintzman, Peter D.; Zazula, Grant D.; Cahill, James A.; Reyes, Alberto V.; MacPhee, Ross D.E.; Shapiro, Beth (September 2015). "Genomic Data from Extinct North American Camelops Revise Camel Evolutionary History" (PDF). Molecular Biology and Evolution. 32 (9): 2433–2440. doi:10.1093/molbev/msv128. ISSN 0737-4038. PMID 26037535.
  71. ^ a b Rybczynski, Natalia; Gosse, John C.; Richard Harington, C.; Wogelius, Roy A.; Hidy, Alan J.; Buckley, Mike (June 2013). "Mid-Pliocene warm-period deposits in the High Arctic yield insight into camel evolution". Nature Communications. 4 (1): 1550. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.1550R. doi:10.1038/ncomms2516. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 3615376. PMID 23462993.
  72. ^ Singh; Tomar. Evolutionary Biology (8th revised ed.). New Delhi: Rastogi Publications. p. 334. ISBN 9788171336395.
  73. ^ Buckley, Michael; Lawless, Craig; Rybczynski, Natalia (March 2019). "Collagen sequence analysis of fossil camels, Camelops and c.f. Paracamelus, from the Arctic and sub-Arctic of Plio-Pleistocene North America" (PDF). Journal of Proteomics. 194: 218–225. doi:10.1016/j.jprot.2018.11.014. PMID 30468917. S2CID 53713960.
  74. ^ Geraads, Denis; Didier, Gilles; Barr, Andrew; Reed, Denne; Laurin, Michel (April 2020). "The fossil record of camelids demonstrates a late divergence between Bactrian camel and dromedary=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 65 (2): 251–260. doi:10.4202/app.00727.2020. eISSN 1732-2421. ISSN 0567-7920.
  75. ^ a b Worboys, Graeme L.; Francis, Wendy L.; Lockwood, Michael (30 March 2010). Connectivity Conservation Management: A Global Guide. Earthscan. p. 142. ISBN 9781844076048.
  76. ^ a b MacPhee, Ross D. E.; Sues, Hans-Dieter (30 June 1999). Extinctions in Near Time: Causes, Contexts, and Consequences. Springer. pp. 18, 20, 26. ISBN 9780306460920.
  77. ^ Yuan, Junxia; Hu, Jiaming; Liu, Wenhui; Chen, Shungang; Zhang, Fengli; Wang, Siren; Zhang, Zhen; Wang, Linying; Xiao, Bo; Li, Fuqiang; Hofreiter, Michael; Lai, Xulong; Westbury, Michael V.; Sheng, Guilian (May 2024). "Camelus knoblochi genome reveals the complex evolutionary history of Old World camels". Current Biology. 34 (11): 2502–2508.e5. Bibcode:2024CBio...34.2502Y. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.050. PMID 38754423.
  78. ^ Walker, Matt (22 July 2009). "Wild camels 'genetically unique'". Earth News. BBC. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  79. ^ Scarre, Chris (15 September 1993). Smithsonian Timelines of the Ancient World. London: D. Kindersley. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-56458-305-5. Both the dromedary (the seven-humped camel of Arabia) and the Bactrian camel (the two-humped camel of Central Asia) had been domesticated since before 2000 BC.
  80. ^ Bulliet, Richard (20 May 1990) [1975]. The Camel and the Wheel. Morningside Book Series. Columbia University Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-231-07235-9. As has already been mentioned, this type of utilization [camels pulling wagons] goes back to the earliest known period of two-humped camel domestication in the third millennium B.C.—Note that Bulliet has many more references to early use of camels
  81. ^ Richard, Suzanne (2003). Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060835. Retrieved 2016-01-08.
  82. ^ Hirst, K. Kris. "Camels". About.com Archaeology. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  83. ^ Almathen, Faisal; Charruau, Pauline; Mohandesan, Elmira; Mwacharo, Joram M.; Orozco-terWengel, Pablo; Pitt, Daniel; Abdussamad, Abdussamad M.; Uerpmann, Margarethe; Uerpmann, Hans-Peter; De Cupere, Bea; Magee, Peter; Alnaqeeb, Majed A.; Salim, Bashir; Raziq, Abdul; Dessie, Tadelle (2016-06-14). "Ancient and modern DNA reveal dynamics of domestication and cross-continental dispersal of the dromedary". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 113 (24): 6707–6712. Bibcode:2016PNAS..113.6707A. doi:10.1073/pnas.1519508113. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 4914195. PMID 27162355.
  84. ^ Ming, Liang; Yuan, Liyun; Yi, Li; Ding, Guohui; Hasi, Surong; Chen, Gangliang; Jambl, Tuyatsetseg; Hedayat-Evright, Nemat; Batmunkh, Mijiddorj; Badmaevna, Garyaeva Khongr; Gan-Erdene, Tudeviin; Ts, Batsukh; Zhang, Wenbin; Zulipikaer, Azhati; Hosblig (2020-01-07). "Whole-genome sequencing of 128 camels across Asia reveals origin and migration of domestic Bactrian camels". Communications Biology. 3 (1) 1: 1–9. doi:10.1038/s42003-019-0734-6. ISSN 2399-3642. PMC 6946651. PMID 31925316.
  85. ^ Heide, Martin (2011). "The Domestication of the Camel: Biological, Archaeological and Inscriptional Evidence from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel and Arabia, and Literary Evidence from the Hebrew Bible". Ugarit-Forschungen. 42: 367–68. doi:10.13140/2.1.2090.8161.
  86. ^ Heide, Martin; Peters, Joris (2021). Camels in the Biblical World. Penn State Press. p. 302. ISBN 978-1-64602-169-7.
  87. ^ Hasson, Nir (Jan 17, 2014). "Hump stump solved: Camels arrived in region much later than biblical reference". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  88. ^ a b Sapir-Hen, Lidar; Erez Ben-Yosef (2013). "The Introduction of Domestic Camels to the Southern Levant: Evidence from the Aravah Valley" (PDF). Tel Aviv. 40 (2): 277–285. doi:10.1179/033443513x13753505864089. S2CID 44282748. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  89. ^ Dias, Elizabeth (Feb 11, 2014). "The Mystery of the Bible's Phantom Camels". Time. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  90. ^ Heide, Martin (2011). "The Domestication of the Camel: Biological, Archaeological and Inscriptional Evidence from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel and Arabia, and Literary Evidence from the Hebrew Bible". Ugarit-Forschungen. 42: 368.
  91. ^ Petrie, OJ (1995). Harvesting of textile animal fibres. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 978-92-5-103759-1. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  92. ^ Cumming, Valerie; Cunnington, CW; Cunnington, PE (2010). The Dictionary of Fashion History. Oxford: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781847887382.
  93. ^ Fagan, Brian M, ed. (2004). "Transportation". The Seventy Great Inventions of the Ancient World. London: Thames & Hudson. pp. 150–152. ISBN 978-0-500-05130-6.[page needed]
  94. ^ Baum, Doug (1 November 2018). "The Art of Saddling a Camel". Saudi Aramco World. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  95. ^ Gabriel, Richard A. (2007). Soldiers' Lives Through History: The Ancient World. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. xvi. ISBN 9780313333484.
  96. ^ Bhatia, Vimal (23 July 2012). "BSF to ditch camels to ride sand scooters". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  97. ^ Gann, Lewis Henry; Duignan, Peter (1972). Africa and the World: An Introduction to the History of Sub-Saharan Africa from Antiquity to 1840. University Press of America. p. 156. ISBN 9780761815204. The camel was acclimatized in Egypt long before the time of Christ and was subsequently adopted by the Berbers of the desert, who used camel cavalry to fight the Romans. The Berbers spread the use of the camel across the Sahara.
  98. ^ Fleming, Walter L. (February 1909). "Jefferson Davis's Camel Experiment". The Popular Science Monthly. Vol. 74, no. 8. Bonnier Corporation. p. 150. ISSN 0161-7370. Archived from the original on 2016-05-04. Other trials of the camel were made in 1859 by Major D. H. Vinton, who used twenty-four of them in carrying burdens for a surveying party...All in all, he concluded, the camel was much superior to the mule.
  99. ^ a b c Mantz, John (20 April 2006). "Camels in the Cariboo". In Basque, Garnet (ed.). Frontier Days in British Columbia. Heritage House Publishing Co. pp. 51–54. ISBN 9781894384018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
  100. ^ Southern, Pat (1 October 2007). The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History. Oxford University Press. p. 123. ISBN 9780195328783.
  101. ^ Nicolle, David (26 March 1991). The Desert Frontier. Rome's Enemies. Vol. 5 (illustrated, reprint ed.). Osprey Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 9781855321663. Nevertheless the military prowess of desert peoples impressed the Romans, who recruited large numbers as auxiliary cavalry and archers. In addition to providing the Roman Army with its best archers, the Easterners (largely Arabs but generally known as 'Syrians') served as Rome's most effective dromedarii or camel-mounted troops.
  102. ^ Herodotus (440). The History of Herodotus. Translated by Rawlinson, George. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012 – via The Internet Classics Archive. He collected together all the camels that had come in the train of his army to carry the provisions and the baggage, and taking off their loads, he mounted riders upon them accoutred as horsemen. These he commanded to advance in front of his other troops against the Lydian horse; behind them were to follow the foot soldiers, and last of all the cavalry. When his arrangements were complete, he gave his troops orders to slay all the other Lydians who came in their way without mercy, but to spare Croesus and not kill him, even if he should be seized and offer resistance. The reason why Cyrus opposed his camels to the enemy's horse was because the horse has a natural dread of the camel, and cannot abide either the sight or the smell of that animal. By this stratagem he hoped to make Croesus's horse useless to him, the horse being what he chiefly depended on for victory. The two armies then joined battle, and immediately the Lydian war-horses, seeing and smelling the camels, turned round and galloped off; and so it came to pass that all Croesus's hopes withered away.
  103. ^ "Cameliers and camels at war". New Zealand History online. History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 30 August 2009. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  104. ^ "The Posts at Benicia". The California State Military Museum. Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  105. ^ "Vitrine N° 108 (partie droite): LES PELOTONS MEHARISTES" (in French). Musée de l'infanterie. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  106. ^ Hall, Bruce S. (6 June 2011). A History of Race in Muslim West Africa, 1600–1960. Cambridge University Press. p. 143. ISBN 9781107002876.
  107. ^ Guillaume, Philippe (16 June 2012). "L'incroyable épopée des méharistes français" [The incredible epic of the French méharistes]. BDSphère (in French). Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  108. ^ "Cameliers and camels at war". New Zealand History online. History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 30 August 2009. pp. 1, 2, 4, 5. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  109. ^ Woodward, David R. (2006). Hell in the Holy Land: World War I in the Middle East. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 36, 39, 43, 56, 133. ISBN 9780813123837.
  110. ^ Murray, Archibald James (1920). Sir Archibald Murray's despatches (June 1916 – June 1917). J.M. Dent. p. 123. A great deal of the work of supplying the troops on both fronts has been done by the Camel Transport Corps
  111. ^ McGregor, Andrew James (30 May 2006). A Military History of Modern Egypt: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Ramadan War. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 215. ISBN 9780275986018.
  112. ^ Federal Research Division (30 June 2004). Somalia a Country Study. Area handbook series (3rd ed.). Kessinger Publishing. pp. 230–231. ISBN 9781419147999.
  113. ^ "Romanian troops using camels". WWII in Color. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21.
  114. ^ "Наш советский верблюд покарает!". WARHEAD.SU. March 2, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  115. ^ Jupiter Infomedia Ltd (28 November 2012). "Bikaner Camel Corps, Presidency Armies in British India". IndiaNetzone.[permanent dead link]
  116. ^ Shelley, Toby (December 2007). "Sons of the Clouds". Red Pepper. Location. Archived from the original on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  117. ^ Hermandad de Veteranos Tropas Nómadas del Sáhara. "Los Medios" [The Means]. Historia: Agrupación de Tropas Nómadas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  118. ^ "Camels banned from Saudi beauty contest over Botox". BBC News. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  119. ^ Adams, Abigail (9 December 2021). "Over 40 Camels Disqualified From Beauty Contest in Saudi Arabia For Receiving Botox Injections". PEOPLE.com.
  120. ^ "Wild Camel – Windy Hills". Archived from the original on August 22, 2016.
  121. ^ a b Burin, Margaret (7 August 2015). "Australians urged to develop taste for camel meat". ABC News. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  122. ^ "Australia's Growing Camel Meat Trade Reveals a Hidden History of Early Muslim Migrants". 16 May 2019.
  123. ^ "SAMEX : Australian Meat Exporters".
  124. ^ Tariq, M., Rabia, R., Jamil, A., Sakhwat, A., Aadil, A., & Muhammad S., 2010. Minerals and Nutritional Composition of Camel (Camelus Dromedarius) Meat in Pakistan. Journal- Chemical Society of Pakistan, Vol 33(6).
  125. ^ Bulliet, Richard W. (1975). The Camel and the Wheel. Columbia University Press. pp. 23, 25, 28, 35–36, 38–40. ISBN 9780231072359.
  126. ^ a b "Camel Milk". Milk & Dairy Products. FAO's Animal Production and Health Division. 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  127. ^ Ramet. Camel milk and cheese making. Archived from the original on 2012-06-24.
  128. ^ "Fresh from your local drome'dairy'?". Food and Agriculture Organization. 6 July 2001. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012.
  129. ^ Ramet. Methods of processing camel milk into cheese. Archived from the original on 2012-06-24.
  130. ^ Young, Philippa. "In Mongolian the Word 'Gobi' Means 'Desert'". Archived from the original on 3 March 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2012. As evening approaches we are offered camel meat boats, dumplings stuffed with a finely chopped mixture of meat and vegetables, followed by camel milk tea and finally, warm fresh camel's milk to aid digestion and help us sleep.
  131. ^ "Netherlands' 'crazy' camel farmer". BBC. 5 November 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  132. ^ "Al Ain Dairy launches camel-milk ice cream". The National. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  133. ^ "FAOSTAT". www.fao.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
  134. ^ a b c Yagil. Camels Products Other Than Milk. Archived from the original on 2011-02-20.
  135. ^ Madame Guinaudeau (2003). Traditional Moroccan Cooking: Recipes from Fez. London: Serif. ISBN 978-1-897959-43-5.
  136. ^ Aleme, A., D., 2013. A Review of Camel Meat as a Precious Source of Nutrition in some part of Ethiopia. Agricultural Science, Engineering and Technology Research. Vol. 1, No. 4, December 2013, PP: 40–43. Available online at "Agricultural Science, Engineering and Technology Research". Archived from the original on 2016-12-03. Retrieved 2016-12-03..
  137. ^ Rubenstein, Dustin (23 July 2010). "How to Cook Camel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2012. He cut the pieces very small and cooked them for a long time. I decided to try something a bit different the following night and cut the pieces a bit bigger and cooked them for less time, as I like my meat rarer than he does. This was a bad idea. It seems that the more you cook camel, the more tender it becomes. So we had what amounted to two pounds or more of rubber for dinner that night.
  138. ^ "Eid al-Adha: More than just slaughtering animals". Daily Sabah. 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  139. ^ "Qurbani Meat Distribution Rules". Muslim Aid. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  140. ^ Arthur, Rick (4 January 2012). "The Instant Expert: camels, the ships of the desert". The National. UAE: Abu Dhabi Media. As the meat can be dry, however, the Abu Dhabi Officer's Club, for one, serves camel burger with beef or lamb fat mixed in, improving texture and taste.
  141. ^ Jasra, Abdel Wahid; Isani, G. B.; Camel Applied Research and Development Network (2000). Socio-economics of camel herders in Pakistan. The Camel Applied Research and Development Network. p. 164. Archived from the original on 2016-06-10.
  142. ^ Anyone for camel meat? One hump or two? Archived 2017-01-26 at the Wayback MachineThe Guardian, Word of Mouth
  143. ^ a b Sherwood, Andy (17 September 2012). "Camel burgers in Abu Dhabi". Time Out Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  144. ^ a b c Webster, George (9 February 2010). "Dubai diners flock to eat new 'camel burger'". CNN World. CNN. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  145. ^ Bin Saeed, Abdulaziz A.; Al-Hamdan, Nasser A.; Fontaine, Robert E. (2005). "Plague from eating raw camel liver". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 11 (9): 1456–7. doi:10.3201/eid1109.050081. PMC 3310619. PMID 16229781.
  146. ^ McBride, Louise (14 June 2010). "SA hits world camel meat supply hump". Stock Journal. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  147. ^ Bazckowski, Halina (22 March 2020). "The beasts that beat the drought: Camels sought after for meat, milk and cheese". ABC News. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  148. ^ a b "Book 1, Number 0184". Purification (Kitab al-Taharah). Partial Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 1. Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was asked about performing ablution after eating the flesh of the camel. He replied: Perform ablution, after eating it. He was asked about performing ablution after eating meat. He replied: Do not perform ablution after eating it. He was asked about saying prayer in places where the camels lie down. He replied: Do not offer prayer in places where the camels lie down. These are the places of Satan. He was asked about saying prayer in the sheepfolds. He replied: You may offer prayer in such places; these are the places of blessing.
  149. ^ Williams, John Alden (1994). The Word of Islam. University of Texas Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-292-79076-6. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  150. ^ Campo, Juan Eduardo (2009). Encyclopedia of Islam. Infobase Publishing. p. 128.
  151. ^ Heinemann, Moshe (2013-08-20). "Cholov Yisroel: Does a Neshama Good". Kashrus Kurrents. Star-K. Archived from the original on 30 April 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  152. ^ http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9912#v=41 Archived 2015-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  153. ^ Ben-Zvi, Itzhak (1967). שאר ישוב: מאמרים ופרקים בדברי ימי הישוב העברי בא"י ובחקר המולדת [She'ar Yeshuv] (in Hebrew). תל אביב תרפ"ז. pp. 407–413.
  154. ^ Sar-Avi, Doron (2019). "מניין באו הערבים 'היהודים'?". Segula Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  155. ^ Saudi Arabia camel carvings dated to prehistoric era Archived 2022-11-01 at the Wayback Machine, BBC, September 15, 2021
  156. ^ a b c Dolby, Karen (10 August 2010). You Must Remember This: Easy Tricks & Proven Tips to Never Forget Anything, Ever Again. Random House Digital, Inc. p. 170. ISBN 9780307716255.
  157. ^ Abokor, Axmed Cali (1987). The Camel in Somali Oral Tradition. Nordic Africa Institute. pp. 7, 10–11. ISBN 9789171062697.
  158. ^ "Drought threatening Somali nomads, UN humanitarian office says". UN News Centre. 14 November 2003. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2012. A four-year drought is threatening the lives of Somali nomads, and those of the camel herds on which they depend for transportation and milk
  159. ^ Farah, K. O.; Nyariki, D. M.; Ngugi, R. K.; Noor, I. M.; Guliye, A. Y. (2004). "The Somali and the Camel: Ecology, Management and Economics". Anthropologist. 6 (1): 45–55. doi:10.1080/09720073.2004.11890828. S2CID 4980638. Somali pastoralists are a camel community...There is no other community in the world where the camel plays such a pivotal role in the local economy and culture as in the Somali community. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 1979) estimates, there are approximately 15 million dromedary camels in the world Plain text version. Archived 2013-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
  160. ^ "Feral camel". Northern Territory government. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  161. ^ Pople, A. R.; McLeod, S. R. (2010). "Demography of feral camels in central Australia and its relevance to population control". The Rangeland Journal. 32 (1): 11. Bibcode:2010RangJ..32...11P. doi:10.1071/RJ09053. S2CID 83822347. Archived from the original on Mar 29, 2024 – via DAF eResearch Archive.
  162. ^ Saalfeld, W.K.; Edwards, GP (2008). "Ecology of feral camels in Australia" (PDF). Managing the impacts of feral camels in Australia: a new way of doing business. Alice Springs: Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre. ISBN 978-1-74158-094-5. ISSN 1832-6684. Report 47. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  163. ^ Tsai, Vivian (14 September 2012). "Australia Culls 100,000 Feral Camels To Limit Environmental Damage, Many More Will Be Killed". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  164. ^ "Bactrian Camel" (PDF). Denver Zoo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2012.
  165. ^ Jemmett, Anna M.; Groombridge, Jim J.; Hare, John; Yadamsuren, Adiya; Burger, Pamela A.; Ewen, John G. (March 2023). "What's in a name? Common name misuse potentially confounds the conservation of the wild camel Camelus ferus". Oryx. 57 (2): 175–179. doi:10.1017/S0030605322000114. ISSN 0030-6053.

Bibliography

  • Camels and Camel Milk. Report Issued by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1982)
  • Ramet, J. P. (2011). The technology of making cheese from camel milk (Camelus dromedarius). FAO Animal Production and Health Paper. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 978-92-5-103154-4. ISSN 0254-6019. OCLC 476039542. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  • Vannithone, S.; Davidson, A. (1999). "Camel". The Oxford companion to food. Oxford Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-211579-9.
  • Wilson, R.T. (1984). The camel. New York: Longman. ISBN 978-0-582-77512-1.
  • Yagil, R. (1982). Camels and Camel Milk. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper. Vol. 26. Rome: Food And Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations. ISBN 978-92-5-101169-0. ISSN 0254-6019.

Further reading

  • Gilchrist, W. (1851). A Practical Treatise on the Treatment of the Diseases of the Elephant, Camel & Horned Cattle: with instructions for improving their efficiency; also, a description of the medicines used in the treatment of their diseases; and a general outline of their anatomy. Calcutta, India: Military Orphan Press.
[edit]
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Camelus.
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Camels.
 
Wikispecies has information related to Camelus.
  • International Society of Camelid Research and Development
  • Six Green Reasons to Drink Camel's Milk
  • Use of camels by South African police
  • The Camel as a pet
  • "Could Emirati camels hold the key to treating venomous snake bites?"
 
 
 
 

 

About 23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Driving Directions in Dubai

Google Maps Location
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Hot air balloon adventure Dubai
25.1343985152, 55.141944541458
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot air balloon Margham desert
25.076794822316, 55.207821633671
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot Air Balloon
25.067204527226, 55.119959630261
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot air balloon Dubai conservation reserve
25.043624191692, 55.18121452312
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Desert safari hot air balloon Dubai
25.095648354275, 55.103989072481
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot air balloon Dubai golden dunes
25.088021098122, 55.177392901181
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot air balloon near Hatta desert route
25.102370512303, 55.123218198505
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Red dunes hot air balloon
25.085781561283, 55.172994004054
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot air balloon Margham desert
25.117918336827, 55.167912419237
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Hot air balloon Margham sunrise
25.058307702575, 55.139381270843
Starting Point
23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 23 Marina Tower - Marsa Dubai - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Destination
Open in Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.128670003659,55.178589553012&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=bicycling&query=Red+dunes+hot+air+balloon
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.110498264399,55.178991586038&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=walking&query=Hot+air+balloon+experience+Ras+Al+Khor+desert+area
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.075337210039,55.194247887066&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=transit&query=Desert+safari+hot+air+balloon+Dubai
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.137992866587,55.157194757419&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=transit&query=Luxury+balloon+ride+Dubai+desert
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.095648354275,55.103989072481&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=driving&query=Desert+safari+hot+air+balloon+Dubai
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.084664628106,55.160710948021&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=walking&query=Hot+air+balloon+Dubai
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.05751508653,55.127563325123&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=driving&query=Desert+safari+hot+air+balloon+Dubai
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.066739016591,55.137159305118&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=transit&query=Private+hot+air+balloon+Dubai
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.114239659605,55.180729165136&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=transit&query=Morning+hot+air+balloon+Dubai+desert
Click below to open this location on Google Maps
Google Maps Location
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=25.092784995087,55.16048583353&destination=23+Marina+Tower+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates%2C+23+Marina+Tower+-+Marsa+Dubai+-+Dubai+-+United+Arab+Emirates&destination_place_id=ChIJa2Cp51prXz4RmZKxmKc3bsk&travelmode=driving&query=Hot+air+balloon+near+Al+Marmoom
Click below to open this location on Google Maps

https://cappadociahotballoon.com/blogs/ :

https://cappadociahotballoon.com/about-us/

No prior experience is required to enjoy a Hot Air Balloon ride as full guidance is provided.

Most Hot Air Balloon experiences include a light breakfast after landing in the desert.

A Hot Air Balloon ride is ideal for couples and is popular for romantic experiences and proposals.