Love drives folks to do all kinds of crazy things. For Guy Seeklus, it was buying alpacas for his teenage daughter. “She wanted llamas,” he recalls, “but I’d read that llamas could be aggressive, so just to be on the safe side, I got alpacas.” One thing led to another and before you could say “how-many-humps,” Seeklus owned his first camel, Lexi, purchased in 2011. Lexi needed a companion, of course, hence the arrival of camel number two, Norman, later that year.
Today, Lexi, Norman and the two alpacas live with 11 other camels on Beldar Haven Farm in Bellingham, where Seeklus makes a living with his passion and his business: Camel Safari. Another 15 of his camels reside in Nevada, 65 miles north of Vegas, where Seeklus just opened a second location on the 176-acre Rancho Beldar, which will offer camel rides and education.
But Beldar Haven in Bellingham is where it all started. The 105-acre farm consists of a large meadow with a massive barn for the dromedary (one-hump) and Bactrian (two-hump) camels. The day we visited, Seeklus said the camels were in a funny mood. “We just laid down new dirt in the barn, and it feels funny beneath their feet — it’s not what they’re used to,” he explained. “So they don’t want to go in there. Instead, we’ll take you for a camel ride outdoors.”
Our camel encounter began in Seeklus’ office with details about camel anatomy, history, breeding, keeping and training. We touched samples of camel fiber, inspected their nails and marveled at a camel skull.
Then we headed to the camel enclosures with a large bucket full of apples, a favorite treat of camels. No question about it, those camels are full of individual quirks. Impatient for their snacks, they pushed their long necks towards us, their massive yellowing teeth visible. Gingerly, they lifted the fruit from our outstretched palms, depositing a goop of saliva as they crunched away at the fruit. Those camels who didn’t get apples as fast as they considered necessary emitted loud, unearthly bellows of indignation, demanding to be heard, noticed and fed. It was an extraordinary, unforgettable experience.
“They have very unique, distinctive personalities,” Seeklus said as he embraced one of his camels. “And they’re so smart. In my opinion, they’re more intelligent, more affectionate and easier to train than horses.”
Bactrian camels live for up to 35 years and how you treat them directly impacts the kinds of animals you raise. “It’s like raising a child,” he explained. “If you raise camels to be unafraid of people, treat them well and interact with them they will be well socialized, good working animals for life.”
Outside, Doha, a bull in the midst of rutting season, was flicking urine in all directions with his tail. “That’s part of their mating behavior,” Seeklus explaied, advising us to keep well away. “They’re dramatically more aggressive when they’re rutting, which is why we’re keeping Doha away from the rest of the herd.”
Inside the enclosures we were encouraged to make physical contact with the camels, a daunting idea at first, given that their heads are at least twice the size of ours. Quickly, though, apprehension gave way to glee at their willingness to be approached, stroked and even hugged. The apples, a great bribe, didn’t hurt either.
Seeklus introduced us to Marion, his youngest Bactrian camel, just one year old, and Belle, who is two. Both animals were born on the farm. He’s excited about the impending birth of another camel at the end of March, a sign that the camels are well adjusted to their Pacific Northwest environment.
The alpacas, also camelids, remain on the farm too, but Seeklus’ daughter has lost interest in them. “She’s 15 now and her world revolves around boys and which Kardashian she looks more like!” he jokes. Of the journey that began with two alpacas, he reflects it “was an interesting, fun and rewarding hobby that turned into something that will hopefully support itself financially. If you like kids and animals like I do, it’s a wonderful thing to be doing.”
Camel Safari offers a unique educational experience to learn more about these fascinating creatures. For those so inclined, there’s also the option of climbing aboard a camel for a 30-minute jaunt around the 40-acre organic hay field. The farm sports a spectacular view of Mt. Baker, offering stellar photo ops.
Camel Safari is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A 90-minute camel safari costs $150 for adults and $75 for kids.
For more information, visit Camel Safari online or at its Bellingham location at 5435 Sand Road.
