2 humps, a tousled fur and lock-picking lips: Chaos the camel attracts attention in the Okanagan
Alysha Bartlett has been fascinated with camels for as long as she can remember.
Growing up in a family that bred Arabian horses, she always felt that the two types went hand in hand. Her family even had a camel saddle and camel-themed artwork in their home.
But it wasn’t until she met her current partner that her dream of owning one of the animals came true.
“He understood my fascination,” Bartlett said of her partner, Alex Schlosser.
“He said, ‘One day I’m going to get you a camel.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s great, honey.'”
He never let go of that promise.
The couple, along with Bartlett’s 14-year-old son, Kye McGreal, moved to BC’s North Okanagan in March 2022. Once at their new property in Lavington – about 40 miles north of Kelowna, just east of Vernon, BC – they were done with horses.
Then, on a visit to Alberta earlier this year, Bartlett said her partner encouraged her to reach out to a couple they had seen advertising a camel on Facebook Marketplace.
“They kindly invited us to their home and the rest was history,” she said.
Mayhem, a one-year-old camel who lives near Lavington, BC, weighs 1,000 pounds.
Bartlett and her partner fell in love with the white, eight-month-old Bactrian camel, named Mayhem, which they took home a week later. The breeders shared their knowledge about breeding and caring for camels, and Bartlett says she also did her own research.
“They’ve been so supportive and gave us all the tips and tricks,” she said.
The BC government regulates the sale and possession of a number of exotic animals, but camels are not on the list of controlled alien species.
Bartlett refused to say how much Mayhem cost – only that it was “expensive” and that she couldn’t have afforded it on her own.
“I couldn’t be happier. He brings us so much joy,” she said.
Shedding rough fur
Camels have been domesticated for thousands of years and form strong bonds 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 from -29 C to 38 C.
Mayhem, who has two bumps and is expected to live until he’s 40, recently took off his shaggy coat, Bartlett said.
“Unlike a sheep, you don’t shave it, because its skin will burn. So it’s about a month-long process of all this really thick, dense fur falling out,” she said.
Mayhem’s ragged appearance has caused concern among some who have stopped along the highway at her property to see the 1,000-pound animal. Bartlett says she had to clarify that it’s a natural process and that he’s being well taken care of.
Otherwise, Mayhem was 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 about 100 people showed up, she said.
Bartlett says the goats and dogs at the ranch have accepted Mayhem, but the horses, who usually don’t see creatures bigger than them, still warm to him.
Slot-picking lips
According to the San Diego Zoocamels are good at finding food in harsh environments thanks to their stout, split upper lip, with each half able to move independently.
On Bartlett’s property, Mayhem uses his lips to unlock gates.
“All our gates have double locks because he’ll spend all day trying to unlock them to get to you,” Bartlett said.
Looking ahead, Bartlett says she hopes to collaborate with others to provide educational opportunities related to camels. But since Mayhem won’t reach full maturity until he’s seven years old, she’s in no rush.
“He’s still getting used to the world,” she said.
