TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

CAMEL HUSBANDRY IN KENYA: INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY
SoU
VEGETATION
The vegetation on the Galana Ranch is influenced by declining
rainfall from east to west. In the extreme east, there is thick
coutal bush and forest containing A/zelia fsa,uetUU, BrAcla,8tegia
.pici/ormu, and BomNz rlaodogAa,laalon. This merges into light
Dio."ro. melpili/ormu parkland, which in turn gives way to Acacia
and Oommi,laora woodland. In the westernmost and lowest rainfall
zone, Oommi,laora spp. dominate. In all zones, there is extensive
open grassland compoeed of Clalom spp., Sclaoene/eldia. tranBien_,
and Amtida spp., among a wide range of other species.
The other three ranches-Ol Maisor, Kisima, and Ngare Ndarehave
predominantly Tlaemeda, Setaria, Hr/Parrlaenia, Losdeha, and
O,nodon gr_ands, scattered widely with Acacia _e,Al, A.gerrardii,
and A. drepa,noIo6ism. Bush and thicket containing EscleG, Rlau,
Grew, and ACAcia 6rew.,ica are also widespread.
LIVESTOCK
All four ranches carry Boran cattle stocked at 4-6 hectares per
beast, Merino or crouee of Merino and Dorper sheep stocked at 1-3
per head of cattle (with which they compete for grazing), and indigenous
goats croued with exotic male introductions. The goats brOWN
on low and medium-sind bushes, controlling them and opening them
up to permit the growth of grass that would otherwi8e be shaded out.
Their small size limits their effect on the larger trees.
mTRoDucnoNorc~~
In 1974,30 camels were purchased in the Wajir and Garba Tula
districts of northern Kenya and walked to the Galana Ranch. In
1975, an additional 100 females were acquired in Moyalej 70 were
moved to Galana and 30 to Ngare Ndare. Between 1975 and 1977, a
number of camels were bought from the Turkana and Pokot people
of the Rift Valley and moved to 01 Maisor, where they now number
102. In 1978, 20 females and a few males were bought in the northern
Wajir district and trekked to Kisima. Four commercial camel herds
have thus bMn established.
The purpoees of acquiring camels were eaentially experimental,
but several premises underlay the decision to experiment: