The rare Iranian camel known as the Bactrian (two-humped) has become extinct in many parts of the country; it has also become endangered in the Northwestern Ardebil Province, where a large population of the rare species lives.
There are less than 100 rare-humped camels in the country today, IRNA reported. The milk of the Bactrian camel is rich in vitamin C and the camel can tolerate temperatures between -30 to +30 degrees.
The even-toed ungulate animal weighs between 750 and 850 kilograms. Most of the ungulate animals use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving.
The two-humped camel is a native to the steppes of Central Asia before it migrated to Iran. Of the two species of camel, it is by far the rarer. The domesticated Bactrian camel has served as a pack animal or beast of burden in inner Asia since ancient times.
With its tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes, the animal has in the course of history enabled travel, such as the caravan trips, of the ancient Silk Road.
The wild form has dwindled to a population estimated at 800 in October 2002 and has been classified as critically endangered on the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
