King presented with six camels

LIBYAN Head of State Brother Leader Muammar Ghadafi has presented His Majesty King Mswati III with six camels.
The camels arrived via a cargo plane at the Matsapha International airport yesterday and were received by amongst others, King’s private secretary Sam Mkhombe and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Robert Thwala.
Two Libyan veterinary officers will be monitoring the animals during their quarantine stay at Mpisi farm. Dr. Thwala, who is also a vet by profession said the quarantine period would last for a period of 30 days.
The PS  said after the quarantine and when the camels had received enough rest from their journey from Libya, they would be taken to a more suitable environment which will become their habitat. He was non-committal of the new home for the camels but hinted that it could be a game reserve.
The King’s private secretary also declined to give more details about the camels but said His Majesty would decide on a more suitable place for them.
Dr. Thwala, however, said the two vets had already discussed logistical, habitat and general behaviour of camel species with local vets.
“It is a great pleasure for the country to be blessed with these rare beasts, especially because most people here are not familiar with these animals”.
Mkhombe assured that the camels would be safe here, especially because a group of veterinaries were here to monitor them. Meanwhile, Mkhombe said he was not sure of what the King would decide to do with the animals. But he was confident that at some stage, His Majesty would allow his people to see them because they are a rare species in Swaziland.
Carmels are well known for living in desert areas and there is no known existence of any of these animals living in Swaziland before.
A small crowd of people gathered at the airport yesterday to welcome the camels. Though offloading the animals from the cargo plane proved to be cumbersome, most spectators watched until the last one was removed from the plane to a small government truck.
Some excitedly took pictures of these carmels using their mobile phones. One gentleman gestured “hha, kantsi makhulu kangaka emakemala, ngiyacala kuwabona”.