Botox was the downfall of 12 camels disqualified from a beauty pageant after judges determined the animals were given injections to make their heads and lips more shapely.
The pageant is part of a monthlong festival in Saudi Arabia and involves about 30,000 camels that compete for $31.8 million in prize money. According to The Washington Post, pageant rules state the camels’ looks must be “natural,” which prohibits the use of Botox or other methods of enhancement.
Saudi media reported officials had caught a veterinarian performing cosmetic surgery on the camels, including Botox injections and making their ears smaller.
Pageant guide Ali Obaid also said some people pull on their camels’ lips to make them fuller and others put oil on their coats, the Post reported.
The King Abdulaziz Camel Festival contest is being held outside Riyadh rather than in the desert where it was previously held. The presence of the camels represents Bedouin life in the desert.
“The camel is a symbol of Saudi Arabia. We used to preserve it out of necessity, now we preserve it as a pastime,” said chief judge Fawzan al Madi, NPR reported.
Twitter users were incredulous that camel beauty pageants (and cheaters) exist.
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