Studies on the Ethiopian Camel Hides for Their Suitability for Making Leather

Abstract

Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in the African countries,providing a strong raw material base for the growing leather andleather products sector. The main source of raw material for theEthiopian tanning industry comes from sheep, goat and cattle. Sincethe Ethiopian leather industry is booming, the industry is nowlooking to exploit the alternative raw materials available in thecountry. Camel (Camelus dromedarius) is one of the most importantlivestock in the East African countries. Due to lack of awareness andtechnology, most of the hides are not utilized fully by the tanners.Hence an attempt has been made in the present study to exploit thecamel hides as an alternative source of raw material for the growingEthiopian leather industry. Histological analysis of the camel hidehas been carried out at different stages of processing. Based on thehistological understanding, the strategy for making suitable leatherfrom camel hide was established. The raw material has also beencharacterized for fat, nitrogen and collagen content. The rawmaterial has been converted into finished leather by using suitabletanning methodology and the leathers were utilized for thepreparation of different types of end products. Finished leathers havebeen developed and the physical and chemical properties have alsobeen evaluated. The results obtained from the chemical and physicaltests revealed that the raw material is suitable for the manufacture ofupper leather.