Pushkar Unt Mela

After an overnight train back from Delhi I hopped on my Bajaj for the 300km drive to Pushkar, a small town nestled in the Aravalli hills whose natural lakes and bathing ghats make it an important Hindu pilgrimage destination. To westerners, though, it is most famous as the site of the yearly Camel Fair/Unt Mela, where thousands of animals are bought, sold, and displayed and herders get a rare chance to kick back a bit. The popularity of the Mela and the town's relaxed atmosphere have also made it a prime stop on the 'alternative' tourist circuit.

The Mela is a result of the particular ecology, anthropology, and economics of camel herding in Rajasthan. Camel herding castes (such as the aforementioned raikas) live in family groups that own 40-100 camels, all but two or three of which are females and young. Spending the summer in the hills to avoid the desert heat, the herders return to the Thar for the lush vegetation and cool temperatures of the winter breeding season. Before heading off, though, they all meet up and swap top studs to prevent inbreeding. Inferior males are castrated and sold to farmers for work.

This year's mela was one of the most profitable ever, a result most likely caused by high oil prices and the resulting ineconomy of tractor use. The number of camel herders, however, was at an all-time low (I only met one full-size herd). This year's selling was mostly done by middlemen, dealers who rounded up marginal animals from their district and came to make a profit. For the NRCC, hoping to find some really top animals (and willing to pay their hefty price), the fair was a disappointment.

Milk production and the follicular wave

The peculiar reproductive cycle of the camel evolved so that mating and parturition both take place during the cool season, which here occurs between October and February. This timing ensures an abundance of feed for hungry males spending their time fighting for mates and for new mothers struggling to feed their young. Follicle growth in non-pregnant females is suppressed during the summer, most likely by environmental conditions, but continues nonetheless. Around now follicles begin growing and males begin to rut, or engage in characteristic breeding behavior. Copulation induces ovulation, and gestation lasts thirteen months.

This system has a profound implication for camel-herding societies. Lactation only occurs in females with young, not only reducing the number of females producing milk but also reducing the amount of milk available for human consumption. With most camels weaned at one year, the slow and inefficient reproductive cycle is yet another reason why camels are herded in large numbers.

Reproductive cycles

It is most fitting that our Class, Mammalia, is named for an aspect of the female reproductive tract. Especially with regards to the placental mammals (the Theria, which excludes platypuses, echidnas, and kangaroos), the challenges of mating have had a profound impact on our structure, function, and behavior.

Most mammals exhibit an estrous cycle. In this system, ovulation is accompanied by suite of physical and behavioral changes that indicate to males that the female is 'in heat,' or capable of conception. Business proceeds.

Humans are interesting because we have developed the menstrual cycle or 'permanent estrous.' Ovulation is outwardly concealed and conception is possible at any point in the cycle. The only external change is menstruation, the expulsion of an unfertilized ovum. Theoretically, the menstrual cycle evolved along with strong pair-bonding, as males who could not be sure when a female was in heat would be forced to monopolize one female for long periods of time to ensure his paternity.

Camels are also special, as they exhibit induced ovulation or the 'follicular wave.' Follicles are constantly growing and maturing, but ovulation is triggered only by the dirty deed itself. This unique cycle is the greatest obstacle to assisted fertility treatments in camels, for although the males are happy to contribute whenever the opportunity arises, females are quite picky about when they let their eggs out. The evolutionary implications of such as system will be covered in another post.

Here, Dr. Vyas assesses follicle development: