Twelve deceitful camels have been booted out of a beauty contest after it was discovered they had had Botox injections. Tut tut. How low can you get, eh?
According to a report by Reuters in Newshub, handlers had used the cosmetic injections in an attempt to make them 'more handsome' in hopes of scooping a top prize in the event.
The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, which takes place every year in Saudi, offers cash prizes totalling $57 million across the 28-day event. And with such massive amounts of money on offer, some owners have resorted to unscrupulous methods to try and win.
A handbook is issued to all those who want to take place, laying down the rules. According to Newshub, one such rule states: "Camels that are found with drugs in the lips, shaved, dyed in any parts of the body, or with changes from natural form are not allowed."
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So, when judges spotted that several of the camels had had work done, they were left with no other option but than to disqualify them.
Aside from their looks, camel owners can also win prizes for racing, obedience training, photography and hair art.
And that's not all, visitors to the festival can also check out the food stalls, petting zoo and souvenir shops. There's camel milk tasting and a museum dedicated to the animals with life-sized sculptures of camels.
This sounds like the best festival in the world. If you choose Coachella over this, then I feel bad for you.
Chief judge of the show, Fawzan al-Madi, told Reuters: "The camel is a symbol of Saudi Arabia. We used to preserve it out of necessity, now we preserve it as a pastime."
The Saudi Arabian royal family have helped to boost the profile of the camel festival, stressing the traditional culture of such events.
And it seems to be working, because the festival, which is already halfway through, has seen attendance up by around a third with about 300,000 lucky people making their way to the show - and who can blame them? It sounds amazing.
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Source: Newshub; Daily Mail
Topics: World News, Weird