Howa Dubai nurse saved the life of a newborn camel in distress
CYCLING ENTHUSIAST RESCUES CALF WRAPPED IN AMNIOTIC SAC IN DESERT
It was a scene right out of a wildlife documentary when a Dubai nurse out on a desert biking trip intervened in the nick of time to save the life of a newborn baby camel.
Like every other weekend, on October 9, Susan Bester, head nurse at Mediclinic Deira Clinic, was cycling through the sand dunes with her husband Deon when they spotted a group of camels.
Susan, 53, a South African expat, has been a nurse for three decades. In her first stint in the UAE, she worked for 10 years. She returned to Dubai in 2016 while her husband is the pastor of the Dubai Afrikaans Church.
Susan said the incident happened on Friday, October 9. “Like always we had taken off for an early morning exploration of the desert stretch, close to the city, whenwe saw a group of camels standing in silence. These camels are part of huge herd of 77 that we always encounter while cycling,” she explained.
I could see that the mother was watching, but I decided to swallow my fear, When I got nearer, I realised that the amniotic sac was wrapped around the baby’s body.”
Newborn calf in distress
This time, Susan sensed there was some trouble.
“Deon and I moved closer to check and I saw a struggling baby camel. The baby was probably born in the night and was lying very still, with its mother close by. I saw that it had something like a plastic hose, or rope, around its neck, head and back, so much so that it could not even have its mother’s milk.
“I could see that the mother’s udders were full and she was helplessly watching her baby struggle while the other camels stood at a distance.”
Susan Bester | South African nurse
Life- saving instincts
Susan hesitated initially, but her life- saving instincts kicked in. “In my nursing training, I assisted in the delivery of over 50 babies and now my midwife skills were required to rescue a newborn camel,” she recalled.
Susan got off her bike and walked closer. “I could see that the mother was watching, but I decided to swallow my fear,” she said. “When I got nearer, I realised that the amniotic sac was wrapped around the baby’s body as the placenta was lying close by.”
It was a dried up amniotic sac wrapped around the calf.
“We weighed our options. We thought maybe it would be better to locate the local camel shepherds, but the calf was in deep distress. So, I decided to take a chance and untangle the calf myself,” Susan said. “I grew up on a farm in South Africa, so I am not afraid of animals. We were used to helping my father working with big animals on the farm. My brother is a vet and we all know our way around animals.”
Delicate operation
Susan could see that the cord like rope was forcing the mouth of the baby open. The mouth and tongue were visibly quite dry. “I was cautious about the presence of the mother, but it was clear that she was accepting me,” Susan said. “I started unwrapping the umbilical cord that had hardened like a rope. It took some time, but I was able to free the baby who immediately started struggling to stand, trying to get at its mother’s milk.”
The Besters decided it was best to hand over charge to a camel shepherd who had arrived on a quad bike. “He blessed us. As we left I could see all the other camels moving closer to check on the newborn,” Susan said.
“The encounters with animals in the desert are among the pleasures of living in Dubai,” she added. “On another biking trip we saw a herd of camels feasting over the tender leaves of a fallen Ghaf tree. It was lovely to see the young ones running towards the tree with great expectations.”