Camels were disqualified from a beauty contest after their handlers tried to make them look more attractive using botox
A dozen camels have been disqualified from Saudi Arabia’s annual camel beauty contest after receiving botulinum toxin injections to make their pouts look more alluring.
The animals were rejected for violating strict rules at the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival taking place outside Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The key attributes in camel beauty are considered to be delicate ears and big nose. But there are strict rules against the use of drugs in the lips, or shaved or clipped body parts.
This year’s event has been mired in botox scandal after the lure of 20m Saudi riyals (Dhs 19.58m) in prize money tempted some owners to cheat. This year, a dozen camels were banned after a vet was caught performing plastic surgery on them. Camels were also given botox-type injections at his clinic, according to Saudi media.
The month-long festival is the biggest in the Gulf and involves up 30,000 camels.