Losing out

The one-humped Malvi camel was first spotted by German scientist Ilse Kohler-Rollefson in Mand-saur district of Madhya Pradesh in 1994. Kohler-Rollefson, who works with the League of Pastoral Peoples in Germany, says that the breed has been there for a long time. "The Malvi camel is easily distinguishable from other camels by colour, height and conformation," she says. Field investigations by Down To Earth confirmed that the camel is widely bred in Mandsaur district and Jawra town in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh (MP) by a subgroup of the Rewaris of Chittorgarh in Rajasthan.

Malvi camel herds consist of 50-100 animals, mostly female, which are known for their high milk yield. Although there are no official figures available, Kohler-Rollefson estimates the population of this breed to be around 1,985. But their numbers are declining. Over the last 15 years, Rewari camel herders of Rajasthan, who own Mewari and Marwari breeds, have moved in with their herds for economic reasons. Recognising that Malvi camels give milk 'even when hungry,' they are trying to increase the milk potential of their breeds by crossing Malvi female camels with Marwari male camels. If this goes unchecked, the Malvi breed will soon be history.

Strangely, the National Research Centre on Camels in Bikaner denies the very existence of this breed.