I had been volunteering as a keeper at Taronga Western Plains Zoo since 2019, and in 2021 I was lucky enough to start keeping full time, which is where I first met Samera the Camel!

Working with ungulates (hoofed animals like camels, Barbary Sheep and various antelope species) has always fascinated me and now I’m very spoiled to be working with all of them. Each animal has something different to teach you, they all have funny little quirks that make them unique and Samera is no exception!

Samera is an Arabian Camel (scientific name Camelus dromedarius). The Dromedary has not occurred naturally in the wild for nearly 2,000 years. As domestic animals, they are generally found in arid regions in the Middle East, northern India, and Africa, particularly in the Sahara Desert. There is also a significant feral population of dromedary camels in Australian deserts.

Samera was born in the Northern Territory in 2006 and brought to Taronga Western Plains Zoo with a few other camels in 2007.

Samera is quite large in comparison to other female camels. She has a dark coat and beautiful long eye lashes. In winter, she grows a beautiful long coat to keep her warm during Dubbo’s colder months, however once it starts to warm up, she sheds her winter coat and looks like a whole new camel!

Samera is a very cheeky camel and will do just about anything for food. Each day she eats meadow hay in the morning and afternoon. We also give Samera some of her favourite browse each day, she likes acacia, casuarina and mulberry.

She is most notorious for hunting down any keepers who may have hidden treats for her and if you have a bucket, she has to inspect it herself to make sure it’s actually empty before you can leave.

She loves going for a walk in her paddock with keepers and will grumble as we walk alongside her.

She can be playful at times and loves a good scrub and hose down on those hot Dubbo days. One of her favourite things to do is have a dust bath on exhibit, rolling around and grumbling as she goes!

Anything new is always exciting for Samera, most recently she spotted a Wedge-tailed Eagle flying over her paddock and watched it very intensely!

You can spot Samera in the Camel exhibit at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

By Ruby Cullen