Chennai, IndiaHis father and grandfather were camel herders, so Bhanwarlal became one too. “Our camels are an extension of our families,” says Bhanwarlal, 35, a member of the ethnic group called the Raika, who believe they have a divine calling from the Hindu god Shiva to care for camels in the northwestern state of Rajasthan.

“Our children bond with them from when they are young. They live with us and die with us,” he told National Geographic in a phone interview.

When the dry season arrives, Bhanwarlal—who goes by one name—and his fellow pastoralists herd their flocks of sheep, goats, and camels, decorated with tinkling neck bells and multicolored pom poms, up to a thousand miles across the acacia-dotted Thar Desert to their