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You’re right—fat.
Known for their distinctive humps, camels are synonymous with desert environments. They do a great job conserving water, allowing them to thrive in some of the harshest and hottest environments globally. A common misconception is that camels store water in their humps.
Their humps store fat, which provides them with energy for long distances. Additionally, the fat helps keep camels from getting thirsty often. In fact, camels can survive a week without water and by eating nothing more than harsh scrub vegetation. They don’t sweat as much as humans and their metabolism lowers at night. And they can drink up to 40 gallons of water at one time! Camels’ ability to survive in more arid climates makes them well-suited to a world where climate change-induced drought is becoming more and more of an issue
As domesticated animals, camels offer provide vital resources such as milk, meat, wool, and transportation to pastoral communities in Africa and Asia, particularly in regions like northern Kenya.
Camels’ milk is rich, nutrient-dense, is well tolerated by humans, and can supplement nutrition and income even when cows or sheep cannot. As the climate changes and resources in desert communities become scarcer, the option of camels’ milk can be the difference between surviving on traditional grazing lands versus having to relocate and potentially compete for resources with other communities.
Learn more about camels—including why they’re climate action ambassadors.
