Plastic bags main reason behind camels' death

Dubai Plastic bags may be the main reason behind the death of over 50 per cent camels in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a study has said.

The study conducted on the remains of animals found in the desert region of Falaj Mualla in the UAE, said the residue belonged to camels that swallowed plastic bags and choked to death, specialists at the ministry of environment and water said.

Large parts of the camel decomposed, but the plastic bags that remained trapped in the camel's stomach did not decompose, they said.

This discovery of the cause of the camel's death "assures us that certain behaviours of some community individuals adversely affects the environment and lives of the creatures", Khalid Al-Sa'edi, director of awareness at the ministry, said.

The recovered plastic bags have been retained in a glass case as a reminder that they were the reason for the elimination of 50 percent of camels across the region.