Animal welfare advocates have long protested the treatment of camels at Cairo’s Barqash camel market, but this year Egyptian authorities are taking concrete steps to stop the abuse of the animals. The market is the scene of intense activity ahead of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, when butchers flock there to buy camels brought in from Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia and many of the animals die either on the way, or are badly injured – advocates say tortured – before they are sacrificed for their meat. As Cairo photojournalist Hamada Elrasam explains, a police crackdown on mistreatment of the camels included making arrests and installing surveillance cameras in the market.
Egypt Cracks Down on Abuse of Camels
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Camel herders at the market sit below a poster warning against mistreatment of the animals. Some of the vendors, in response to growing criticism on social media, insist not all herders and sellers are the same. (VOA/H. Elrasam)
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Camel is the meat of choice for many Egyptian Muslims at Eid. “I prefer camel meat because they have no sicknesses and are more tasty,” says Mohamed, 48, who came to Barqash to shop for a camel for the feast. (VOA/H. Elrasam)
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Hajj Ahmed Soliman owns the camel market and says there are economic incentives to discourage mistreating animals. “Now, if a camel has lost an eye, its price drops.” He said camels that are injured and bleeding do not sell. (VOA/H. Elrasam)
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Ayman, who identifies the camels with serial numbers and the names of their buyers, says there are other incentives to not abuse the animals. "Beating cause bruises, and bruises ruin the meat. I want to deliver the best to my clients." (VOA/H. Elrasam)
