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Hybridization between dromedaries and Bactrian camels has been carried out since ancient times in various areas of the Middle East and Central Asia. The primary force behind such practice was to obtain a better pack camel for trade caravans and military interventions. Today, camel hybridization is carried out systematically in only two areas: Turkey and Kazakhstan. In Turkey, camel cross-breeding is mainly done to obtain large animals for the annual camel wrestling competitions, while in Kazakhstan, cross-breeding is done to obtain camels that are more productive and better able to resist the harsh climate of Central Asia.

Animal breeds are the diverse outcome of the thousands-year-long process of livestock domestication. Many of these breeds are piebald, resulting from the artificial selection by pastoralists of animals bearing a genetic condition known as leucism, and selected for their productive, behavioural, or aesthetical traits. Piebald dromedary camels have not been studied or discussed before, and their same existence is often overlooked. Based on fieldwork in Western Sahara, direct observations across Northern and East Africa and the Middle East, and a literature review, we address the morphological and behavioural traits, geographical distribution, taxonomy, and material and cultural importance of piebald (painted) camels. They are a hundreds-year-old camel breed used for caravans, as mounts, and for aesthetical and cultural reasons across Sudan, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara, and Morocco. While they are increasingly bred out of a pastoral context for tourism and entertainment in the Canary Islands, mainland Europe, and the USA, in part of their original African range, piebald camels are under threat due to wars, droughts, and demise of pastoral livelihoods. More research is needed about these 'beautiful and dignified' animals.

A new species of bovid was &covered recently in Vietnam and Camhodia. At present, only thc horii.; have heen collected. A general description of the animal has been given by local huntera. The aiiini;il has heen known since I929 hut was wrongly classified as an immature female kouprey (Ho.s . S~J U W / J ) .