Gros-de-Vaud: Two camels land under the snow

The image is unusual and well worth the detour. In the middle of Gros-de-Vaud, two camels advance through the snow and fog, gently guided by Carole and her daughter Malia. We would rather imagine them in the desert, but the couple has just arrived in their new home in Dommartin. Khaleesi et Mounir arrived straight from Thurgau on Thursday evening, and it is clear that they do not seem out of place, despite the winter.

Olympian calm

On the Jaccoud family farm – baptized “In the little corner of happiness” –, around sixty horses already delight young and old through various leisure activities. They are now joined by the two camelids, both incredibly calm and curious to get to know the visitors. In the couple, the majestic Khaleesi is the bravest, with her white powdered coat. At 12 years old, she is nevertheless the youngest of Mounir15 years old, all brown and barely more reserved.

“I have always been interested in animals that have special contact with humans. I’ve been thinking about bringing camels for a long time!” smiles Carole Jaccoud. The soul of the farm is her, her husband, Patrick, and their three children, including Malia, 15, who also seems under the spell of the two new residents. We would be less! Because even if Khaleesi et Mounir can impress with their size, their gait and movements are all grace and placidity.

A Swiss and a German

If the couple does not come from that far away, it is because they were entrusted to the Jaccoud family by other dromedary enthusiasts from Thurgau, among the pioneers of the genre in Switzerland. Khaleesi is therefore a Helvetian, while Mounir began his life in Germany, also on a farm for educational and leisure purposes.

In Dommartin, the two camels will participate in activities and camps for children, but not only that. “With horses, we already offer a therapeutic support approach, for people who lack confidence for example, but also those with mental or physical disabilities. The camel lends itself well to this approach, because it is an animal that particularly seeks contact,” explains Carole Jaccoud, who was a nurse in another professional life.

Not a first in the village

For now, Khaleesi et Mounir will acclimatize through this type of activity, which should start in February. Camel rides, on the other hand, are more music for the future: “As with horses, you have to get them used to being ridden. It’s my next project, but without it being a priority.”

This is because acquiring the animals was already a whole process in itself, going through training, in France, then certification, in Switzerland, both for herself and for her farm. “I have the stamp of the Confederation to keep wild animals,” summarizes Carole Jaccoud.

Moreover, it is still a rare bird in French-speaking Switzerland, since you have to go to the Bernese Jura to find the “Little camelid farm” in Essertfallon. And yet! In Dommartin, a camel on the farm is not a first.

About forty years ago, a village farmer had already adopted a camelid, as well as a llama, both from a circus. “They lived a long time! I took photos of them when I was still a teenager,” remembers a villager passing through the Jaccoud farm. “The whole village still remembers it,” says Carole. Thanks to her, succession is now assured.

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Chloe Din has been a journalist in the Vaud & Régions section since 2015. She covers in particular the West Lausanne district as well as religious and spiritual themes.More info

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