A camel beauty pageant in Oman has been plunged into chaos as 20 of its competitors were disqualified after their owners enhanced their humps and other features using injectable fillers, silicone wax and Botox. Veterinary inspectors at the 2026 Camel Beauty Show Festival in Al Musanaa, Oman, discovered that the camels had undergone several cosmetic procedures to enlarge the size of their humps using a mix of injectables similar to dermal fillers used on humans. Disqualified camels had received a mix of injectables, including hyaluronic acid injections for pouty lips, dermal fillers around their nose, Botox to soften their faces and silicone wax to inflate their humps. Festival organizers have said they’re working to halt all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camels and that strict penalties would be imposed on manipulators going forward. The camels are judged on four key features: their coat, neck, head and humps. The winning animals usually have the shiniest hair, a long and muscular neck, long eyelashes and plump lips, and, of course, plump and defined humps. In the camel breeding industry, pageants are taken very seriously since the trophy comes with a multi-million dollar prize pot, investments and increased tourism. Winning at the event will also increase the value of the camel when it goes to be sold. There's usually more than $60 million of prize money at stake.
