“Cama” is Lulu Skidmore’s name for the new animal. Dr. Lulu Skidmore is technical director of the Camel Reproduction Centre in Dubai where Rama, the first cama in the world, was born. Cama’s mother is a llama from a Dubai zoo, her father is a camel from the Centre. 　　Llamas, one-hump dromedaries or Arabian camels, and two-hump Bactrian camels belong to the Camelidae family. They have a common ancestor but now live in totally different places: camels live in dry hot places in the desert regions of Asia and Northern Africa and can live without water for several days. They have short ears and a short tail. 　　Llamas live in the Andes in South America where temperatures can be -20° Celsius. They have long ears, a long tail and wool which protects them from the cold. They can walk in the mountains and carry heavy loads for 12 hours. 　　Young Rama has physical characteristics from both parents: the long ears, long tail and prized wool of a llama, and the size of a camel. This is good news: it can give more wool. 　　It is early days and there are many unanswered questions: can it live in mountains or only in deserts Can it carry heavy loads and live without water for several days The scientists are optimistic. They hope that it is fertile: that it can reproduce. If it can, the world has a new man-made, or rather woman-made, species, the cama.
Cama’s mother is a camel from a Dubai zoo, her father is a llama from the Centre.