Malvi Camel: Madhya Pradesh’s Endangered Off-White Desert Nomad

The Pearl of Malwa: Introducing India’s Rarest Camel

Malvi camel breed Smallest Indian camel Off-white camels India Trypanosomiasis-resistant camel Madhya Pradesh livestock Malwa region camels Endangered camel breeds Camel milk production Climate-adapted camels

Malvi Camel Breed

Conservation StatusNot specified (Population: 1,062 in 2013)
Scientific Classification
  • Domain: Eukaryota
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Artiodactyla
  • Family: Camelidae
  • Genus: Camelus
  • Species: Camelus dromedarius
Breed TypeDual-purpose (Transport and Milk)
Alternate NamesNone
OriginMalwa region of Madhya Pradesh
Breeding Tract
  • Primary District: Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Migratory Areas: Kotah, Jhalawar Patan (Rajasthan); Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain (MP)
Geographical Range
  • Longitude: 75°00′ to 76°00′ E
  • Latitude: 23°45′ to 25°10′ N
Main Uses
  • Males: Transport/load carrying
  • Females: Milk production
Physical Traits
  • Color: Uniform off-white (virtually no color variation)
  • Size: Smallest among Indian camel breeds
  • Height: 195 cm (Male), 198 cm (Female)
  • Body Length: 256 cm (Male), 214 cm (Female)
  • Heart Girth: 235 cm (Male), 261 cm (Female)
Management
  • System: Extensive (natural grass grazing)
  • Herd Size: 50-100 camels
  • Herd Composition: Primarily females with 1 breeding male
  • Seasonal Migration:
    1. April-June: Home villages in Mandsaur
    2. July: Move to Rajasthan (Kotah/Jhalawar Patan)
    3. September: Urban areas (Bhopal/Indore/Ujjain) for milk sales
Performance
  • Parturition Interval: 24 months
Special Characteristics
  • Better adapted to humid conditions than Rajasthan breeds
  • Higher resistance to trypanosomiasis
  • Distinct three-stage migratory pattern
Population
  • 2013: 1,062 (Govt. of India Survey)
Malvi camel breed Smallest Indian camel Off-white camels India Trypanosomiasis-resistant camel Madhya Pradesh livestock Malwa region camels Endangered camel breeds Camel milk production Climate-adapted camels

Only 1,062 left! Meet the Malvi camel – India’s smallest, off-white breed adapted to humid climates. Discover its unique migration patterns, disease resistance, and conservation crisis.

THE RAJASTHAN EXPRESS