Camel Kalle gets a companion at Saaremaa zoo

A female camel arrived from Poland at Saaremaa zoo last Thursday to join Kalle, who has lived there for two years, ERR reported.

Zoo owner Risto Ränk said the zoo had been considering a companion for Kalle since last spring, but the threat of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe delayed the plan. Kalle, now a teenage male, had been making noises and showing signs that he needed a mate, Ränk said.

Ränk said he showed Kalle pictures of camels that could be transported, so the camel could indicate which one he liked best. The zoo chose a female with a blond stripe, he said.

The arrangements began in March and have involved paperwork, blood and skin tests, and transport requirements. The process has taken more than six months and is not yet complete, as further inspections are still expected in Estonia.

The zoo is holding a public contest to choose the new camel’s name. Ränk said the idea of calling the pair Kalle and Malle had come up, but the public would decide.