Camel Update

There is so much more to know about the camel statues exhibited along the road. Today's paper has a three-page spread in the supplement, since the exhibition is almost at an end. Here's more than you ever want to know about fibreglass camels...

They are made from fire-resistant fibreglass with steel rods in the legs set into a 300-pound slab of concrete. They are 6 by 9 feet big. The artist paint on a primer and after the design is done the camel is covered with a clear car finish to withstand the sand and heat. The original camel used for the mould is called Lulu (which is 'pearl' in Arabic) and is based on a design by an American sculptor.

The whole concept of the camel parade is based on the Swiss cow parade which was first held in Zurich in 1998 (no web links available, sorry). A brand-new trend, then. Can we look forward to a llama parade in Peru and a whale parade in Norway, a kangaroo parade in Australia and a bronco parade in the USA (apparently the Americans have gone overboard on the whole cow parade thing)?

The camels (together with a handful of table-top sized versions) are being auctioned off for charity on the 29th. There will be another show at a local park, where we can have a last look at them. Tune in for a report and more pictures after the 29th.

And there's more: You can vote for your favourite camel, put a bid in for the auction and download a Lulu picture to colour it in for yourself.