It’s far from typical for a camel to sport shoes around the yard, but then again, it’s far from typical for a camel to be trotting around the United Kingdom. 

So when cobbler Stuart Moss got a call from a woman named Lady Chichester about making a shoe for a camel, he thought it couldn’t possibly be real.

“I thought it was one of my friends trying to, you know, prank call me or something,” Moss told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.

“The further we got into the conversation, I then realized she was, you know, deadly serious. And Timujin the camel had a bit of a problem.”

Timujin is a 27-year-old camel that lives at Little Durnford Manor, a property owned by the Earl of Chichester in Salisbury, U.K. 

Lady Chichester, also known as June Chichester, informed Moss that Timujin had stretched tendons on his two front feet, and was struggling to walk.

A vet had suggested she put the animal down, but instead, Lady Chichester looked for a solution elsewhere. And Moss was willing to help.

“I tried a few people (saddlers, upholsterers, leather workers) before I found Mossy’s [Shoe Repairs] in our local town, Salisbury. Nobody else felt they could help,” said Lady Chichester in an email to the CBC.

Making the shoes

Timujin is one of four domestic Bactrian camels on the estate, which originate from Northern Asia, and are well used to the cold. They can live for up to 50 years.

Lady Chichester says they’ve had camels for 24 years, as well as various other animals, including horses, ponies, donkeys, goats, sheep and pigs. 

“But these [camels] are by far the cleverest,” said Lady Chichester. “Each one has a very individual personality. They are particularly kind and good with children, the elderly or sick people.”

After seeing Timujin, Moss felt he could, in fact, help the animal. But because he didn’t have a mold for a camel shoe in his workshop, he had to make one. 

He made Timujin’s new boots out of high-grade box calf leather, along with surgical memory foam, to give comfort on his pads and the tendons at the back of his feet. Moss also stitched on a custom-made rubber sole for grip. 

“So he doesn’t slip and slide around,” said Moss.

Since Timujin is not one for tying his shoes, Moss equipped the kicks with velcro. And Lady Chichester says the shoes are a hit.

“It is wonderful to see our most loved Timujin able to walk so freely and happily again. It is a delight to see how extremely proud he is of his news boots,” said Lady Chichester. 

Connecting with camels

While Moss doesn’t typically work with animals, he did seem to connect with the creatures, including another camel named Luna.

“The first time I was there, Luna came up behind me without me knowing and placed her head on my shoulder and then proceeded to lick my ear, which obviously startled me,” said Moss. 

Moss was impressed with his interactions with the camels. He says Timujin was not a fussy client, and was actually very easy to work with.

“From the minute I met him after the first fitting, it was almost like he knew I was trying to help him,” said Moss. 

Moss has been keeping up to date on Timujin, and his new high tops. He says that before the shoes, Timujin resisted going for walks, and was very stubborn. But the shoes have changed that.

“Since walking freely in his new shoes, everything has improved,” said Lady Chichester.

“The swelling in his feet is vastly reduced and the wobble in his knees has disappeared. The exercise is doing him so much good as he enthusiastically joins the other three camels for his daily walk.”

And while Moss doesn’t expect to be making many more camel shoes, he’s open to it. 

“One of the signs in my shop window does say no job too big or small. Not for one minute did I ever think that I would be approached to make a pair of boots for a camel,” said Moss. 

“But I’ve always had an attitude that, you know, if something can be done, then why not?”