The International Year of Camelids 2024 has brought tremendous excitement among camel scientists, practitioners and cameleers. In India, Dr Ilse Köhler-Rollefson and Mr Hanwant Singh of Lokhit Pashu Palak Sansthan at Camel Charisma, Sadri, India took the lead in organising two workshops. An International workshop on camel pastoralism (hybrid mode) was organised at Sadri from 5-10th January 2024. A wide range of topics ranging from camel pastoralism to culture, future and autism were discussed in addition to many more topics. The Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan in collaboration with the North American Camel Ranch Owners Association (NACROA) and the generous support of Jodhana Heritage organised a day and a half long meeting about camel conservation and well being. Doug Baum and Valeri Crenshaw of NACROA actively participated in the second workshop held at Nagaur from 16-17 February 2024.

The NACROA team also visited Veterinary Institutes at Bikaner in India and in Morocco as well. The team also sought a mutual cooperation with these institutes which was considered as a most appreciated positive approach in the Year of Camelids 2024.

The National Research Centre on Camels, Bikaner organised a national symposium cum stakeholder's meet on importance, innovation and improvement in processing of nonbovine animal produce for successful entrepreneurship from 14-15 March 2024. This centre has also organised several training and workshops, animal health camps, scientist interaction, international camel festival, blog writing and MoUs with other institutes.

Another important milestone in this year is a dossier on pastoral camelid husbandry around the world: “With camelids into a sustainable future: learning from pastoralist communities” (2024, 20pp), published by Welt-Sichten, under the banner of Misereor, DITSL (German Institute for Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture) and LPP (League for Pastoral Peoples) in Germany. It offers a differentiated picture of camelid pastoralists’ realities in the Old and New World and can be downloaded for free from https://www.celep.info/with-camelids-into-a-sustainable-future/ Institute for Development Studies (IDS) in University of Nairobi held a seminar on “The Moral Economy of Camel Milk Marketing” on 21^st March 2024 and invited speaker was Dr. Tahira Mohamed who is a post-doctoral fellow in International Livestock Research Institute. The Institut Agronomiue et Veterinanire Hassan II is organising a scientific day of research on camelids on May 11, 2024.

The F.F.D.C.F.E. (French Federation for the Development of Camelidae in France and Europe) and Christian Schoettl, the Mayor of the small town of Janvry in Essonne are organising a camel parade in Paris for the “International Year of Camelids. The event is announced as a “festival of nomadic cultures” and supported by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation), UNESCO and the ICO (International Camelids Organisation). The participation and presence of 32 foreign delegations is expected, including the United States, Canada, England, Pakistan, Egypt, India, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, Qatar, Spain, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Morocco and even Australia. During this parade, each of these delegations will be preceded by a camel, a llama or an alpaca, while folk groups accompany.

I am sharing another good news that the Journal of Camel Practice and Research has been selected for the prestigious category B27 of the 30^th Gourmand Awards in the International Year of camelids 2024.

Dr. B Faye and Barbara Padalino edited a new book, “Dromedary Camel Behaviour and Welfare”, Large Camel Farming: A Care-Management Guide from Breeding to Camel Products authored by Bernard Faye, Gaukhar Konuspayeva and Cécile Magnan and another edition of “A Field Manual of Camel Diseases” by Ilse Kohler Rollefson and others (likely to come up) are important publications on dromedary camels in this year. Christina Adams was interviewed by the Eastleigh Voice of Kenya and she shared her thoughts on how camel milk can help Kenyan pastoralists with new income opportunities. Many more news are expected in the year 2024 for bringing cheers to the camelids and their well wishers.