Camels, long the climate fallback for African herders, are now succumbing to extreme heat

Kenyan herders switched from cattle to camels to cope with rising temperatures, per the World Resources Institute. Now BBC reporting from Ethiopia's Afar region documents camels with foot blisters, skin burns, and calf deaths from extreme heat. A 2025 study links high temperatures to reduced camel milk, health, and feed intake — threatening a key pastoralist food source. No obvious substitute species remains.