Double hump camels to be deployed along China border

Troops guarding the icy Sino-Indian frontier will soon have a new companion in the form of double hump camels which will be deployed to carry rations and materials for them.
    
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the 3,488 kilometre-long frontier, has decided to induct these sturdy animals in the force.

The force will initially induct around five such camels and deploy them after procuring from Ladakh where they are reared under government sponsored schemes.

These camels till now were used for tourism purposes and it would be the first time when they will be deployed for delivering supplies for troops.

"We will induct the double hump camels to transport rations and material for our troops. A trial would be carried out by procuring few of them initially," ITBP director-general Vikram Srivastava said.

These camels will be deployed in the cold desert of Leh and Ladakh, he said.

The double hump camels are shorter and stouter as compared to their single hump counterparts.

The double humps are also plump and pliable and collapse in winter when food is scarce.

Currently mules and horses are used by the border guarding force to transport rations and luggage for the troops in the difficult areas where vehicles do not ply.

ITBP posts are situated at heights ranging from 9,000 to 18,500 feet.