By MONETTE TAYLOR | South Central Texas Edition

Doug Baum, dressed in traditional desert attire, is aboard Gobi, a two-hump Bactrian camel. The duo were part of the presentation made to Louise Elementary students on May 23 as part of the Texas Camel Corps’ Sesquicentennial Camel Drive.   — Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

June 1, 2006 - Anyone recently driving between Indianola, on the Texas coastline, and Camp Verde, in the Hill Country, might have seen a sight that made them think they were dreaming!

Yes, even though it’s Texas, the sight was likely the Texas Camel Corps, and their camels, who were re-enacting a bit of Texas history, celebrating the Sesquicentennial Camel Drive which took place 150 years ago.

The drive concludes June 3 with a ride from Bandera to Camp Verde. A Proclamation from the commissioner’s court will be issued in Bandera on June 2, along with programs explaining the corps at the Frontier Times Museum.

According to Texas Camel Corps owner Doug Baum, over 100 camels were imported to Texas during the 1850s, under then-Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. The animals were used by the U.S. military to carry supplies “through the arid Southwest before, during, and after the Civil War.”

The home base was Camp Verde and as the Civil War went on, the camels were controlled by the North and South. After the war, the animals were auctioned off and ended up under private ownership or sold to circuses and traveling shows.

Gilbert Tafolla Hernandez (right), whose great-great grandfather was a scout with the original U.S. Camel Corps in Camp Verde and throughout Texas, shares his stories with Louise Elementary School students. Ernest Geigenmiller (left), retired military, assists with the annual drive. — Staff photo by Carolyn Rost

During this year’s camel drive, on May 23, Baum, along with Jim Hale of the American Camel Company, Gilbert Tafolla Hernandez, whose great-great-grandfather was with the original U.S. Army camels in the 1850s and 1860s, and assistant Ernest Geigenmiller stopped in Louise, just outside of El Campo.  

During the stop, the men played “show and tell” with school youngsters who had several interesting questions for the group. One misconception is that camels like to “spit” on people. Another misconception is the humps on camels’ backs store water for long treks through the desert, but it is actually stored fat that can be slowly absorbed by the animals for food. Camels don’t need much water, however. Baum noted that during the drive, when they stop for the evening, camels don’t need water every night. The animals get the water they need from eating leaves, plants and even thorns, since all contain water. This is what made them ideal for travel in Texas 150 years ago, he said.

“They’re (camels) kind of like a car that runs on air!” Baum explained.

Another “trick” the camels do is eat grass, swallow it and bring it back up like a cow and cud, until all of the moisture is out of the grass. Then, the grass finally makes its way into the stomach of the camel.

Baum explained that camels, such as the 15-year-old, 2,050-pound Gobi he used in his presentation, were used by the Army to carry supplies for soldiers who were providing security for settlers crossing from one place to another.  Camels were the perfect animal to cross dry, desert areas, since they didn’t demand the attention of horses or cattle.

According to Baum, camels can go up to 10 days without water, as long as they are able to eat, and like horses, there are “good ones (camels) and bad ones.”

The gestation period for camels is 13 months, said Baum, and the lifespan is usually between 35 to 40 years, although Hale has a 48-year-old camel on his property.

The camels with two humps are called Bactrian, and the one hump animals are called Arabian or Dromedaries, and there are many breeds and colors of the animals, explained Baum.

Watching a camel get up from a lying position is an interesting sight, too. When resting, the animals tuck their feet (which are quite large) up under their bodies, unless they need to scratch their backs, and then they stick their legs straight out to get into the correct position for a good rubbing against the grass/ground.

Baum showed that the camels are two-toed animals with no hoof … just a nail on each toe.

It’s obvious from watching the interaction between the men and the children that they love what they do, and they really like camels. Baum gives his parents credit for his love of the animals and history, and enjoys “enlightening” children and adults concerning what camels actually do.

“I’ve had people ask me ‘Why’d you get a camel?’ and I tell them, “Because all the horses were taken!” laughed Baum.

Baum has had the Texas Camel Corps since 1995 and provides various “camel treks” to the public, during the year, along with giving educational programs, providing his camels for movies, as well as Christmas biblical journeys offered by numerous churches.

For more information: www.texascamelcorps.com or 254-675-HUMP (4867).