One of the most eccentric stories from B.C.’s past has to be camels working the Cariboo Gold Rush.
That’s right — camels.
Introduced to the Cariboo Wagon Road in the late 1800s, the desert-dwelling animals were thought to be the perfect alternative to mules because they could carry twice as much but required less food and water.
Things didn't go as planned because camels, as it turns out, have a terrible attitude and are not well suited for the Cariboo’s rocky terrain.
B.C. Was Awesome’s Bob Kronbauer explores exactly how and why 19th-century entrepreneurs brought camels to the Cariboo.
