Hoof Patrol? How 2-Humped Camels Are Being Trained As ‘Soldiers’ In Ladakh

Leh: High altitudes, unpredictable weather and the lack of proven mechanical options have made the armed forces look at a natural alternative for patrolling and carrying equipment in the challenging terrain of Ladakh, and the two-humped camel is leading the pack.

The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) in Leh, Ladakh is training these wild camels, also known as Bactrian camels, to be obedient pack animals.

Bactrian camels are very hardy, can survive in high altitudes and are also food storehouses, with the ability to go without feeding for nearly two weeks. They have been used extensively as beasts of burden in Central Asia and can easily carry loads of over 150 kg in a cold, rarified environment.

Speaking to NDTV, Colonel Ravi Kant Sharma of the Remount Veterinary Corps in Leh, Ladakh, said double-humped camels were used to transport goods on the legendary Silk Road, but the knowledge to tame them and get them to obey has been lost in India.

Colonel Sharma who is part of DIHAR, which is part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said, “Double-humped camels are a good option as pack animals for the operational logistics requirements of the Army, especially last-mile connectivity’.

Logistical Nightmare

Scientists from DRDO say the mountains are generally considered a logistician’s nightmare. In Ladakh, an improvement in the road infrastructure has substantially widened the transportation options, but troops still have to rely on porters and pack animals for last-mile connectivity.

They said pack animals have proven their worth in logistics, especially in the mountains, where the capabilities of drones, quadcopters and all-terrain vehicles or ATVs have not yet been proven on the required scale. At high altitudes, the use of technological options is also dependent on weather conditions, environmental factors and terrain, and support from pack animals, they said, will enhance the operational logistics efficiency.

In the Ladakh sector, Zanskar ponies have been extensively used as pack animals since the 1999 Kargil operation and, in Eastern Ladakh, initial trials on Bactrian camels for the same purpose have been successful.

The Northern Command of the Indian Army said the two-humped camel offers an innovative means for last-mile delivery of critical load and mounted patrolling in the sandy terrain of the plateau. The utilisation of camels has been generating employment for the local population and has also paved the way for enhancing conservation efforts.

Dr Om Prakash Chaurasia, Director, DIHAR, said, “Similar to the Zanskar ponies, as per requisition from the headquarters of the Army’s 14 Corps, a trial is being undertaken by us to check the feasibility of using the two-humped camels for patrolling and carrying loads. The initial trial has shown encouraging results.”

Colonel Sharma said, “Training a double-humped camel to be a soldier is very different from training them to offer joy rides to tourists. In times of war, the animal has to remain steady and obey all commands even as the machines roar around them.”

Yaks Too

Trials on the use of yaks as pack animals for extreme altitudes (above 15,000 feet) are also taking place. Yaks have three times more red blood cells than native cattle as well as larger lungs and are perfectly adapted to carrying up to 100 kilograms of load in high altitudes. Their heavy coat allows them to survive temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius and they can graze on high-altitude pastures ranging from 15,000 to 17,000 feet.

The use of these animals is also more important now because drones and robots could fail just when they are needed most if the enemy uses jammers.