What is/are unique about ‘Kharai camel’, a breed found in India?
- 1.It is capable of swimming up to three kilometres in seawater.
- 2.It survives by grazing on mangroves.
- 3.It lives in the wild and cannot be domesticated.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
The Kharai camel of Kutch, Gujarat, is known as the "swimming camel": it swims across salty water to reach mangroves, which are a key part of its diet. It is not a wild animal; it is a recognised domestic breed reared by Jat and Rabari herding families.
- ✓ 1. The Kharai is famous for swimming through saline water to reach mangrove islands. This is what earned it the name "Swimming Camel". Down To Earth reports that the breed can swim up to three kilometres into the sea in search of mangroves; the ICAR article cited here gives no distance.
- ✓ 2. Mangroves are a key part of its diet and the camel swims across salty water to reach them, an adaptation to its coastal habitat.
- ✗ 3. Kharai camels are domesticated. Camel-breeding Jat and Rabari families rear them, and the Government of India designated the camel as an endangered domestic breed.
Remember · Kharai camel (Kutch, Gujarat): a domesticated, endangered breed that swims across saline water to feed on mangroves.
Sources
- Journal of Livestock Biodiversity (ICAR-NBAGR authors): Kharai camel, the endangered swimming camel of Gujarat’s saline desert ↗ · reference work “demonstrated by its capacity to swim across salty waters to access mangroves, a key part of its diet highlights its resilience to high salinity levels and harsh climatic conditions. … 104 camel-breeding families, primarily from the Jat and Rabari communities, are currently rearing over 4,000 Kharai camels across 21 villages in 11 talukas of the state”
- Down To Earth: The sinking ship (Kharai camels of Kachchh) ↗ · reference work “The picture features the Kharai camel--a breed that can swim up to three kilometers into the sea in search of mangroves, its primary food.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·