By Dead Sea, camels graze at Earth’s lowest place
Each winter, camels lope around the moon-like desert landscape of the lowest place on Earth under the watchful eyes of their Bedouin Arab herders, in an ancient tradition passed from father to son over the generations.
Ali El Guran brings his herd of more than 100 camels from southern Israel to the Dead Sea every November to pasture. It’s birthing season and this year, 30 camels are pregnant.
Bedouin lifestyles have changed dramatically in the last few decades, with many leaving their traditional nomadic ways to settle in towns of southern Israel, trading their camels for pickup trucks and living off tourists instead of goat herds.
In this Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 photo, Palestinian camel herders Muhammed Zarlul, left and Salem Rashaideh, rest as their camels graze in the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
But for three months a year, El Guran and the other herders live as their forefathers have for generations.
It’s a simple life. The herders eat mainly bread and olive oil while drinking thick black coffee boiled on campfires. They sleep under the stars, near the herd, for weeks at a time. There is no cellphone coverage or other modern amenities.
El Guran and the others use the time to bond with their sons who have come with them to the pastures, away from the distractions of the contemporary world. They speak to the camels in a special language, directing them where to graze.
In this Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 photo, camels rest at the night camp after grazing all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
About a day before it’s time to give birth, the mother camels separate themselves from the herd, sometimes walking several kilometers (miles) to find a private spot. The herders later find them standing guard over the newborns, protecting them from wolves and jackals, the main predators in the area.
El Guran sells some of the baby camels as well as camel milk to make a living.
As winter comes to an end, the area gets very hot and the camels are taken to a higher elevation, where it’s cooler.
Until next winter.
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, Ali El Guran checks his camels as they back to the night camp after grazing all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herders rest at the night camp after herd all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 photo, Palestinian camel herder Salem Rashaideh, leads the way for the camels in the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, camels are back to the night camp after grazing all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, Beduin camel herders pray at the night camp after herd all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Young Beduin Majed Zarlul who join his father for camels herding during weekends tries to get on his mule at the night camp at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, a newborn camel and his mother at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, camels gather at the night camp in the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herder Muhammed Zarlul runs after a newborn camel as they back to the night camp after grazing all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, a newborn camel and his mother rest as back to the night camp after grazing all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, camel grazes at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Qalia, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018 photo, Palestinian camel herder Salem Rashaideh, leads the way for the camels in the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herder Ali Zarlul carries a newborn camel back to his mother at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Beduin camels owner Ali El Guran, left, and his camels herder Ali Zarlul, clean the camel respiratory, at the night camp at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herders sit around fire at the night camp after herd all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Beduin camels owner Ali El Guran, left, and his camels herder Salem Rashaideh, have their breakfast at the night camp at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herder Ali Zarlul and his son Majed lead their camels at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, a camel feeds her young at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Beduin camels owner Ali El Guran, left, and his camels herder Ali Zarlul, clean the camel respiratory, at the night camp at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herder Ali Zarlul ties the leg of camel to prevent her from walk away at the night camp in the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, Ali El Guran checks his camels just before they go out to graze all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Monday, Jan. 22, 2018 photo, Beduin camels herder Mahmoud Zarlul fills water barrel for camels as they back to the night camp after grazing all day in the open field at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
In this Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 photo, one of thirty pregnant camels marked with red spray at the territory of Israeli Kibbutz Kalya, near the Dead Sea in the West Bank. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Text from the AP news story, AP PHOTOS: By Dead Sea, camels graze at Earth’s lowest place, by Oded Balilty.
Photos by Oded Balilty