Animals’ Angels, together with the University of Bologna and Dr. Dilshad from Samsons Farm in the Pakistani province of Punjab, has built the first transportable ramp for camels – even if it is not yet perfect. In Pakistan, ramps – if they exist at all – are usually made of sand and earth.
The ramp, constructed in just two days, can be hooked onto the back of a truck. This allowed us, for the first time, to train camels in safe loading and unloading at two different locations. Instead of being dragged onto the trucks or pushed off during unloading, the camels can now walk up and down the truck ramps on their own.
The ramp is still quite heavy and uneven, but transportable – an important beginning, a true work in progress. However, it should definitely be further developed by the people on site; for example, railings could be added on both sides to prevent animals from falling off. Even though it still takes several people to lift the ramp onto a truck, a first step has been taken – one that will hopefully continue on the well-organized farm and beyond.
At the same time, the ramp serves as a model for loading and unloading the other 2,000–3,000 animals kept on the farm – cattle, buffaloes, and sheep. Since Samsons Farm already plays a pioneering role with its work in the desert, the ramp will likely also serve as an example for other farms in contact with it.
The special nature of this ramp became clear during a concurrent visit to a horse show in the city of Multan: even among the horse transport vehicles, our colleague on site could not find a single loading ramp. This shows just how urgently such solutions are needed – and that there is a real demand for them in Pakistan.
