Bringing Up Barack

Our new baby camel was recently named, "Barack", which means "blessing".

Google Mama, her mother, is raising her within the herd and both are doing well.

As she grows, each day the baby is full of new surprises. Taking my cues from her mother I'm letting the calf be fully expressive, emotionally and physically, while letting her learn the consequences and rewards for everything she does. In another month or two I'll start becoming more direct with her about what she can and can't do around me... jumping on me will have to stop, kicking out at me exuberantly will have to stop, pushing on me will need to stop. But for now I'll let her do those things. She's at a size where I can handle it, and I think it's important to let her be expressive and participant in ways that she's naturally moved to do. And at the same time I can get to know her character, her infant strengths and weaknesses, and help to guide her growth as she develops.

We also spend periods lying together in the grass, napping on each other, forming a deep trust and understanding through this. She already wears a halter easily and I'm starting to teach her to sit (kush) by inviting her to sit with me and connecting a word with the action of sitting each time. Today I began introducing a cue for every time she rears up on her hind legs.

As we go along in this way she'll be able to learn, in the natural course of things, close to everything she needs to know in relationship to people with very little formal training having to be done. Just as she grows up with her mother and within the herd, learning everything as she goes, she can also learn things from me in the same natural kind of way.

It's good that Barack is living in the herd culture, with her mother. This will ensure a well rounded individual, interested in people but not dependant upon them. With the contact she is having with humans each day, her inter-cultural up-bringing will allow her to know herself as a camel while at the same time learning how to relate to humans happily and respectfully.

Stuart