Camel Wrestling: Turkey

Camels are exotic, all by themselves. In fact, they've become a bit cliché in travel photography. But, unlike their elite Turkish owners, it turns out they're not all that feisty. So, at your typical camel-fight, bets are placed, long-haired cross-breeds, known as "tulus", are costumed up in colorful coats, females are brought in for motivation (all fights occur during mating season) and the head-butting, tripping and chasing begin. The audience is more amused than anything. That is, when they're not running for their lives. Though the event is slowly dying due to the high cost of keeping and feeding a camel, it makes for a pretty good story at the next holiday gathering. You can catch a meet in Aydin, Anatalya or near Pamucak beach. Just look for the milky saliva coming from a docile camel's nostrils and be ready to get out of the way. Camels weigh a ton. Literally.