Sept. 23 -- Toledo Zoo camel

Now here's something you don't see every day.

I mean, camels are not that uncommon. But have you ever seen one belly-deep in water? I never had.

There were two camels at the zoo this summer, and on the 23rd, both of them were immersed up past their bellies. The female was eating those gold leaves you see floating on the surface of the water, and the male you see here was just puttering, as far as I could tell.

The keeper who was watching them (as the female was plenty close enough for spectators to touch) said that the flies bother them, especially on their legs and bellies, so they get into the water to keep the flies off.

It makes sense, I think -- their native habitat is so dry that I bet there aren't nearly as many biting insects as they encounter in Toledo..... I bet they aren't as well prepared to deal with flies, etc., as animals who live in damper climates.





I had also never seen a camel with a white face. I asked if he was old, but no, he's young, less than two, and not nearly full grown. Oh.

Check out the eyelashes.