More than 40 camels have been disqualified from Saudi Arabia's beauty pageant for receiving Botox injections and other cosmetic enhancements. The contest is a highlight of the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, where $66m (£45m) in prize money is at stake.
Judges used advanced technology to uncover tampering on a scale not seen before, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. Contestants were led into a hall for examination of their external appearance and movements, then scanned with X-ray and 3D ultrasound machines, with samples taken for genetic analysis.
Twenty-seven contestants in the cup for Majaheim camels were disqualified for having stretched body parts, and 16 were ejected for receiving injections. The organisers, the Camel Club, said they were 'keen to halt all acts of tampering and deception' and promised 'strict penalties on manipulators'.
Botox was injected into camels' lips, noses, jaws and other parts to relax muscles; collagen fillers were used to enlarge lips and noses; and hormones were given to boost muscle growth. Rubber bands were also used to restrict blood flow and enlarge body parts.
Jason Baker, senior vice-president of animal rights group Peta Asia, described the beauty contest as a 'cruel farce'. He said subjecting any animal to cosmetic procedures is 'hideously cruel' and called on Saudi authorities to crack down on events that exploit or abuse animals.
Some 33,000 camel owners from as far away as the US, Russia and France are participating in the festival, which lasts 40 days. As many as 100,000 tourists are expected daily at the 32 sq km site, 100km north-east of Riyadh.
