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Context

• The Army said it has deployed double-humped camels for logistical support to the troops in eastern Ladakh.

Bactrian Camel

• The Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus), also known as the Mongolian camel, domestic Bactrian camel or two-humped camel, is a large even-toed ungulate native to the steppes of Central Asia. It has two humps on its back, in contrast to the single-humped dromedary.
• Domesticated Bactrian camels have served as pack animals in inner Asia since ancient times.
• With its tolerance for cold, drought, and high altitudes, it enabled the travel of caravans on the Silk Road.
• These camels are migratory, and their habitat ranges from rocky mountain massifs to flat steppe, arid desert, (mostly the Gobi Desert), stony plains and sand dunes.
• The Bactrian camel is the largest mammal in its native range and is the largest living camel.
• Body mass can range from 300 to 1,000 kg.

Bactrian Camels in Ladakh

• Bactrian camels, also known as double-humped camels, which are mainly used for carrying goods but are also popular among tourists for safaris in the Nubra valley in the Union Territory.
• Bactrian (double humped) camels are deployed in Eastern Ladakh as an innovative means for last-mile delivery of critical load and mounted patrolling in sandy terrain of plateau.
• The utilisation of camels, generated employment for public and also paved way for the conservation of fast dwindling population of double-humped camels in Ladakh.

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