Riding a camel carries real but manageable risks, roughly comparable to horseback riding. The most common danger is falling, which accounts for about 62% of camel-related head injuries in clinical studies. Because a camel’s hump sits around 2.15 meters (7 feet) off the ground, a fall can produce serious trauma, particularly to the head and face.
How Falls Happen
Falls while riding and camel kicks are the two leading causes of injury, each responsible for about 31% of camel-related trauma cases in a seven-year study from the UAE. Falls typically happen during mounting, dismounting, or when the camel stands or sits unexpectedly. Unlike horses, camels rise rear-end first, which pitches an unprepared rider forward. If you’re not gripping the saddle and leaning back, you can be thrown before the animal is fully upright.
The height makes these falls dangerous. An adult one-humped (dromedary) camel stands about 1.85 meters at the shoulder and over 2 meters at the hump. Researchers have noted that falls from this height can cause serious head trauma, including skull fractures and facial bone injuries. The middle third of the face takes the worst of it: orbital fractures, broken cheekbones, nasal fractures, and jaw injuries are all common. Upper and lower limb fractures round out the injury profile.
How Camel Riding Compares to Horseback Riding
A 14-year analysis from a national trauma registry found that horse and camel injuries occurred at nearly equal rates, with 145 horse-related injuries and 128 camel-related injuries over the study period. The most common mechanism for both was falling off, followed by being kicked. Among patients with major trauma (defined as an injury severity score of 12 or higher), the split was almost even: 47.5% from horses and 52.5% from camels. So camels are not inherently safer than horses. The taller riding position may even give camel falls a slight edge in severity.
Camel Behavior and Warning Signs
Camels are generally docile animals, but male camels become noticeably aggressive during breeding season. This is well-documented enough that in professional settings, breeding males are kept isolated or tethered. Tourist operations typically use trained, non-breeding animals, which significantly lowers the risk.
A stressed or agitated camel will show recognizable warning signs. Rapid head-shaking, where the camel jerks its head upward in a fast vertical motion, is one indicator. Pacing in tight, repetitive circles is another. Oral behaviors like biting at their own forelegs or mouthing at bars and fences signal distress. If a camel you’re about to ride is displaying any of these, that’s a sign to step back and let your guide handle the situation. Kicks and bites from agitated camels cause a significant share of injuries.
Disease Risks From Close Contact
Beyond physical injury, camels can transmit certain infections to humans. The most well-known is MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), a coronavirus carried primarily by dromedary camels on the Arabian Peninsula. Research published in The Lancet Microbe found that activities involving close exposure to camel respiratory aerosols, such as feeding, watering, and kissing or petting young camels, are potential transmission routes. Juvenile camels appear to be a particularly high-risk group for carrying the virus. For a typical tourist ride, the exposure is brief and relatively low-risk, but avoiding face-to-face nuzzling with camels is a reasonable precaution.
Skin infections are another concern. Sarcoptic mange, caused by burrowing mites, can jump from camels to humans even when handlers wear protective equipment. One documented outbreak showed rapid transmission from a single infected camel to both other camels and multiple people through close contact. The resulting skin condition causes intense itching and inflammation. Visible skin lesions or patchy fur on a camel are red flags that the animal may be carrying mites or other skin parasites.
How to Reduce Your Risk
The single most important factor is choosing a reputable operator. Professional tour companies in regions like North Africa and the Middle East hire local guides who have spent years working with camels and understanding their behavior. Many of these guides hold certifications from local tourism boards and carry satellite phones for emergencies. Before booking, it’s worth asking whether guides have emergency response training and what backup plans exist for medical situations. On longer treks, some operators have a 4×4 vehicle following at a distance.
Good operators give a pre-ride orientation covering how to mount, dismount, and sit properly. The basics: mount only when the camel is fully kneeling, put your left foot in the stirrup and swing your right leg over, grab the saddle firmly with both hands, and lean back as the camel stands. The lean-back part is critical, because the camel’s rear legs extend first, tipping you forward. Dismounting follows the reverse, and again the camel should be fully kneeling before you attempt to get off.
A helmet dramatically reduces the risk of the most serious injuries. Head and face trauma accounts for over half of camel-related injuries in clinical studies, and most tourist operations don’t provide or require helmets. If you’re concerned about safety, bringing a lightweight riding helmet is one of the simplest things you can do. Closed-toe shoes with a low heel, long pants, and avoiding loose scarves that could catch on the saddle also help. Avoid riding camels that appear agitated, visibly unwell, or have skin lesions, and skip the urge to get face-to-face with the animals for photos.