20 camels disqualified from Oman beauty pageant for Botox scandal

Twenty camels have been disqualified from a beauty pageant in Oman after they were found to have undergone cosmetic procedures, the Daily Mail writes.

In a competition held in Muscat earlier this year, the high standards prompted many breeders to seek an advantage, using banned Botox injections to inflate the camel’s lips, muscle relaxants to soften the face and silicone wax injections to expand the hump.

Veterinary experts involved in the competition were the first to notice such cosmetic enhancements, prompting officials to disqualify the 20 camels involved.

The publication notes it is not the first time camels have been disqualified for the use of Botox and other cosmetic procedures in these competitions. Camel beauty pageants are regularly held across the Gulf States and carry a significant cultural prestige. These events celebrate Bedouin heritage and feature thousands of camels competing for prizes worth millions of pounds.