Feature: Xinjiang camel herders embrace technologies

URUMQI, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A herder gathering and moving his camels across vast open plains -- this is one of the most iconic images of northwestern China.

Doulgala, a 45-year-old resident of Bohu County in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was once a typical herdsman. But he has given up his nomadic ways and now uses an unmanned aerial vehicle to track his herd, which makes his work easier and more efficient.

His family have been herders for generations. Doulgala's father used to herd on camelback, carrying a tent and following the animals wherever they roamed. Whenever a camel went missing, the herder had to embark on a painstaking search.

"It would take two or three days to catch up with the missing camels," Doulgala said, recalling his early days of herding with his father. "We had to endure hunger and thirst along the way. While the camels can withstand the harsh conditions, it is challenging for us herders."

In the 1980s, Doulgala's family began using motorcycles to herd their camels. The wheels sped up the process and eased the urban-rural commute for their camel milk business.

However, the gears brought new problems. Doulgala said that the pasture is covered in sharp gravel, which often punctured the motorcycle tires. And whenever a motor broke down, the herders had no choice but to spend the night outdoors, waiting until the next day to search for their lost camels before returning home, which also added hours to their work.

In 2019, Doulgala and his brother were watching the news and saw that farmers were using tractors equipped with China's homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System for their livestock. This sparked Doulgala's interest in the positioning technology, which he now uses to locate his herd of 200 camels.

Encouraged by the two young herders, Doulgala's father agreed to fit all his camels with BeiDou collars. Thanks to satellite positioning, the family could use a smartphone app to track the location of the camel herd remotely and in real-time.

"We can just sit back and watch them from home," Doulgala said, adding that the animals are okay on their own most of the time, and that the collar battery only needs to be charged once a week.

In 2020, China officially commissioned the BeiDou system, making it available to global users. The system has since been serving a wide range of industries, including animal husbandry, by enhancing efficiency and lightening workloads.

More than 1,000 camels in Bohu County have been fitted with collars containing chips that are connected to the BeiDou system, enabling their owners to monitor them remotely.

The pasture on which Doulgala herds his camels is situated on the south bank of Bosten Lake, which is home to over 120 herding families. Its stunning scenery has made it a popular location on social media, drawing photographers from near and far. Doulgala has found that camels respond to the movement of these visitors' drones, so he sometimes asks them to assist him while they capture their drone footage.

Just as satellites can help herders locate their camels, unmanned aerial vehicles can guide the animals in the right direction. In 2022, Doulgala began piloting a drone over the pasture, leading the way with innovative herding methods.

"I can use the drone to guide the camels home if the weather suddenly turns bad, or to scout out a route and direct them to grazing areas with better grass," he said, highlighting the advantages of drones.

Recently, the camels in the region entered their separation season, during which herders ensure they are cared for appropriately by dividing them into three groups: lactating camels, pregnant camels, and camels in estrus.

This movement of thousands of camels across the vast, snowy plains is a magnificent sight, yet it is a busy period for herders like Doulgala.

A video featured by multiple local news outlets shows Doulgala standing in front of his pasture, holding a drone console and launching the craft with a simple click. The drone can be seen flying through the air and hovering above his camel herd in the distance.

Onboard cameras provide a live video stream to his smartphone, so Doulgala knows what is happening in real-time.

The drone, he said, has all the characteristics of a good herding mate -- it is smart, loyal and fast. The use of drone technology saves time and labor, allowing him to devote more efforts to the family's other business operations. He can earn over 300,000 yuan (about 41,700 U.S. dollars) annually from selling camels and camel milk.

In Xinjiang, drones have become an integral part of the farming industry. Another common sight is a drone sprayer operating above the region's expansive cotton fields, assisting farmers in the efficient application of fertilizer, pesticide and defoliant.

"I am happy to stay abreast of the technological advancements," Doulgala said. "By embracing these innovative herding practices, our lives are enriched and getting better." ■