sebastian
Really into this!
Detective Gadget & Moderator
Posts: 512
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Camels
Mar 30, 2006 20:37:31 GMT -5
Post by sebastian on Mar 30, 2006 20:37:31 GMT -5
Strange creatures called Ur-Chow are supposed to be camel-like. I know that there were a few species of camels during the Pleistocene in North Amercia. But there were camels imported to Canada during the Gold Rush era. Does anyone know if they were released into the wild or they just died out?
cheers, seb
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Camels
Mar 30, 2006 21:47:45 GMT -5
Post by mooseman on Mar 30, 2006 21:47:45 GMT -5
here ya go......... In the 1860's Frank Laumeister at one time or another was probably the most threatened freight outfitter in British Columbia. During the Cariboo gold rush Frank decided to use " the ship of the desert ' to help move the huge amounts of cargo to the remote interior outposts. These two hump (bactrianus) camels could out walk & out carry any animal known in North America. But to Laumeister's dismay these sometimes cantankerous animals would eat anything from a pair of pants to a bar of soap, if given the chance. Horses from competing freight outfitters would stampede at the sight of a camel causing extensive losses for those companies. The biggest drawback to making a profit was the loss of camels. These animals are sure footed on a sandy desert but on the rocky trails of B.C. it was a different story. Most trails at the time were cut into steep rocky canyon walls. After a few years Laumeister sold the remaining camels to curious ranchers throughout the province. Thus ended a unique chapter in Canadian entrepreneurship. www.mysteriesofcanada.com/BC/camel.htm
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Sean V.
Has opinions now!
Alberta Sasquatch Researcher
Posts: 256
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Camels
Mar 30, 2006 22:08:26 GMT -5
Post by Sean V. on Mar 30, 2006 22:08:26 GMT -5
That was an interesting little history lesson. Thanks, Mooseman.
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sebastian
Really into this!
Detective Gadget & Moderator
Posts: 512
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Camels
Mar 31, 2006 0:04:52 GMT -5
Post by sebastian on Mar 31, 2006 0:04:52 GMT -5
Thanks, Mooseman! I still wonder if some of these animals escaped and survived in the wild. At least this is one option to consider. But I find that is even less likely than Pleistocene survivors.
cheers, seb
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Camels
Mar 31, 2006 1:30:28 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2006 1:30:28 GMT -5
When I was really young in the early-mid 1950's in the Yakima Valley of central Washington State, there were storys of camels being sighted on the Yakima Firing Center (now the Yakima Training Center) across the valley from me. The camels being supposedly being released into the wild sometime before the US Army took over the area at the start of WW-II. The storys being military police on patrol coming around a corner and coming nose to grill with a camel. But I have not heard the story in the past 50 years. Not even the artilerymen having camelburgers for supper.
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Camels
Mar 31, 2006 5:43:58 GMT -5
Post by mooseman on Mar 31, 2006 5:43:58 GMT -5
Yer welcome for the info. I haven't been able to find it but I read a story somewhere mentioning the last camel dying but like I said, can't find it.
...going by rusty memory so don't quote me on that! LOL
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