Pet camel turns heads along B.C. highway | CBC News

For as long as she can remember, Alysha Bartlett has been fascinated by camels.

Growing up in a family that raised Arabian horses, she always felt the two species went hand in hand. Her family even had a camel saddle and camel-themed artwork displayed in their home.

But it wasn’t until she met her current partner that her dream to own one of the animals came true.

“He understood my fascination,” Bartlett said of her partner, Alex Schlosser.

“He said, ‘One day I’m gonna get you a camel.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s great, babe.'”

He never let go of that promise.

The couple, along with Bartlett’s 14-year-old son, Kye McGreal, moved to B.C.’s North Okanagan in March 2022. Once on their new property in Lavington — about 64 kilometres north of Kelowna, just east of Vernon, B.C. — they got set up with horses.

Then, during a visit to Alberta earlier this year, Bartlett says her partner encouraged her to reach out to a couple they had seen advertising a camel on Facebook Marketplace.

“They graciously invited us to their home and then the rest was kind of history,” she said.

WATCH | Mayhem the Bactrian camel says hello: 

Meet the young Bactrian camel turning heads in the Okanagan

Mayhem, a one-year-old camel that lives near Lavington, B.C., weighs 1,000 pounds.

Bartlett and her partner fell in love with the white, eight-month-old Bactrian camel, named Mayhem, whom they brought home a week later. The breeders shared their knowledge on how to raise and care for camels, and Bartlett says she did her own research as well.

“They’ve been so supportive of us, giving us all the tips and tricks,” she said.

The B.C. government regulates the sale and possession of a number of exotic animals, but camels are not on the Controlled Alien Species list.

Bartlett declined to say how much Mayhem cost — just that he was “expensive” and she couldn’t have afforded it on her own. 

“I couldn’t be happier. He brings us so much joy,” she said.

Shedding shaggy coat

Camels have been domesticated for thousands of years and form a strong bond with their owners, Bartlett said.

According to the Toronto Zoo, Bactrian camels have long, thick shaggy coats that they shed when the weather warms. The species is native to Central Asian deserts north of the Himalayas and can tolerate temperatures ranging from –29 C to 38 C. 

Mayhem, who has two humps and is expected to live until he’s 40, has recently been shedding his shaggy coat, Bartlett said.

“Unlike a sheep, you don’t shear it, because his skin will burn. So it’s about a month-long process of all this really thick, dense coat falling out,” she said.

Mayhem’s ragged appearance has caused concern among some who have stopped along the highway by her property to catch sight of the 1,000-pound animal. Bartlett says she’s had to clarify that it’s a natural process and he is well looked after.

Otherwise, Mayhem has been a big attraction in the area, Bartlett said. On Mother’s Day, she and her family opened their property to visitors for two hours and around 100 people came through, she said.

Bartlett says the goats and dogs on the ranch have accepted Mayhem, but the horses, who typically don’t see creatures bigger than them, are still warming to him. 

Lock-picking lips

According to the San Diego Zoo, camels are good at finding food in harsh environments thanks to their tough, split upper lip, with each half able to move independently.

On Bartlett’s property, Mayhem uses his lips to try to unlock gates. 

“All our gates have double locks because he’ll spend all day trying to unlock them to come join you,” Bartlett said.

Looking ahead, Bartlett says she hopes to partner with others to offer educational opportunities related to camels. But because Mayhem won’t be fully matured until he’s seven years old, she isn’t in a rush.

“He’s still getting used to the world,” she said.