The camel s lower jaw is unique
On becoming a veterinarian
I was born and brought up in Bikaner, which is livestock country. Love for animals came naturally. I grew up watching animals and how people depend on them. My father's a physician, so there was a familiarity with the medical sciences. Bikaner had the only veterinary college. I joined in 1983.
On jaw fractures in camels
Although the camel is a very hardy animal, there is a peculiar anatomical problem that makes it vulnerable. The lower jaw is unique: it is too long and the space between teeth is too wide. The alveolar tooth creates a weak point in the lower jawbone. When in rut (during winters), the males bite powerfully at hard objects they wouldn't bite usually and several animals break their lower jaw. This, in turn, prevents the lips from meeting so that browsing for fodder becomes impossible. If the animal can't eat, death is inevitable.
On injured camels' fate
People are forced to abandon the animals to die a horribly painful death. Such incidents are quite common in the Thar during the winter. For the camel owners