Supporting the camelid sector is crucial for advancing sustainable agriculture and improving livelihoods – FAO livestock expert
Interview with Badi Besbes, Chief of the Sustainable Animal Production, Feed and Genetics Branch of the Animal Production and Health Division, on the importance of camelids as the UN marks the International Year of Camelids 2024
1. What are the different species of camelids and where are they found globally?
When we talk about camelids, we refer to seven species. These include the Bactrian camel, the dromedary, and the wild camel. Additionally, we have four South American species: the domesticated alpaca and llama and wild vicuña and guanaco.
There are approximately 7.5 million alpacas, 4 million llamas, 350,000 vicuñas, and 600,000 guanacos in South America. Interestingly, camelids originated in America about 45 million years ago.
Today, the dromedary and Bactrian camels are mainly found in Africa and Asia, with about 42 million in total. Of these, 84 percent are in Africa and 16 percent in Asia.
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