What's even better than a llama costume contest? Yup, a camel beauty pageant. While these domesticated animals are not judged upon the costumes their humans make them, their remains a high standard for their natural physique. The Mazayin Dhafra Camel Festival takes place every winter for approximately two weeks in the United Arab Emirates, a country located on the southeast end of the Arabian peninsula. Hundreds of thousands of camels contest for the best in show. Judges look for the creme de la creme camel based upon their broad shoulders, supremely shiny coats. and sufficient whiskers. Bigger is better, in this case. Additional factors that judges include are the shade of the camels coats and the sturdiness of their neck and ears, as well as the shininess of their coats. Naturally, these unique ungulates are also judged upon the formation and vigor of their very lovely humps. Their humps aren't for impressing mates either; the humps of camels store fat for nutrition for long periods of time, so they can go without feeding. With such a high number of camels, selective breeding is very high in demand, as is showmanship of their physical characteristics. The standards for this competition are very high; the top ten winners receive luxury cars and high cash prizes. I'm not sure what the human handlers get, though.
