Camel beauty queens banned after 'Botox' cheating scandal
The world of camel pageantry has been rocked by its most explosive scandal yet.
Nearly 20 camels have been unceremoniously KICKED OUT of a prestigious competition in Muscat, Oman, after it was revealed their owners used Botox, fillers, and illicit ‘face-lifts’ to cheat their way to the top.
The scandal has sent shockwaves through the desert, leaving traditionalists fuming and animal lovers absolutely horrified.
A file photograph of a camel. Pic: Getty Images
These magnificent creatures, who are meant to be judged on their natural desert grace, have instead been subjected to human-grade aesthetic procedures in order to win big prize money.
Veterinary inspectors, using high-tech scanners and physical examinations, were said to have been left ‘appalled’ when they discovered the extent of the tampering.
A file photograph of three camels. Pic: Getty Images
The cheats reportedly injected the camels’ lips with Botox to make them appear more ‘lush and droopy’, a key trait judges look for and used fillers to smooth out the animals’ heads and necks.
‘It is an absolute disgrace,’ said one source close to the festival. ‘These people have no respect for the animal or the tradition. They treat these camels like dolls, pumping them full of chemicals just to get their hands on the cash. It’s disgusting.’
A file photograph of a camel. Pic: Getty Images
The stakes in these competitions are eye-wateringly high. With prize pools reaching into the tens of millions of dollars, the pressure to win has reached a fever pitch. But critics say the’beauty-at-any-cost’ mentality has gone way too far.
The disqualifications come as a major embarrassment for officials who had promised a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on tampering this year. Despite the crackdown, it seems some owners are willing to risk everything for a piece of the glory.
A file photograph of a camel. Pic: Getty Images
The so-called ‘Franken-camels’ were immediately stripped of their titles and banned from the festival, but the outrage is only just beginning. Social media has been flooded with comments from furious fans demanding life bans for the owners involved.
‘This isn’t sport, it’s animal cruelty,’ wrote one commenter. ‘They should be ashamed of themselves. Leave the poor camels alone.’
This isn’t the first time the industry has been hit by a ‘Botox Blitz.’
A file photograph of a camel. Pic: Getty Images
In 2021, Saudi Arabia famously disqualified over 40 camels in a similar crackdown. But it appears the lesson hasn’t been learned, as the lure of the “big bucks” continues to drive breeders to the needle.
As the desert dust settles, one thing is clear: the quest for the perfect pout has turned this traditional celebration into a tawdry spectacle of surgical deception.
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