TEHRAN – Mohammad Amiri-Roudan, an Iranian traveler and athlete, who started a journey across the globe on camelback to promote conservation measures for endangered two-humped (Bactrian) camel, has entered the Republic of Azerbaijan.

He started the trip on May 23, 2019, from a lagoon in Sirik county in southern Hormozgan province to carry a message for supporting the preservation of the valuable animal to the world.

The trip is organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in collaboration with the Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, according to IRNA.

The journey is estimated to last for two-and-a-half years, passing Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Then, in coordination with the FAO office in Italy, he will determine his next destinations which will probably include 50 countries around Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.

The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) is a large, even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia, which has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary camel. Its population of two million exists mainly in the domesticated form. Their name comes from the ancient historical region of Bactria.

Domesticated Bactrian camels have served as pack animals in inner Asia since ancient times. With its tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes, it enabled the travel of caravans on the Silk Road. 

A small number of feral Bactrian camels still roam the Mangystau Province of southwest Kazakhstan and the Nubra Valley in India. 

In many parts of Iran, the species has disappeared. It is endangered in Ardebil province where once a large population of the rare species lived.

FB/MG