Management deficiencies on the part of the pastoralists were claimed to be one of the major causes of the high losses of camel (Camelus dromedarius) calves contributing to low productivity of camel herds. In the present study, calf deaths, and the causes thereof, were analysed in connection with pastoral calf management in order to assess possible relationships. Progeny history data on 1506 Rendille, 789 Gabra and 1206 Somali calves born between 1980 and 1995 provided quantitative information on losses and the underlying causes. Assessment of the causes of death, and analysis of related management practices, led to suggestions for management changes. In feedback seminars with pastoralists, however, it became apparent that these management changes would not be adopted because they contradicted the pastoralists' assumptions on the causes of calf mortality. The discussions revealed that differences between pastoralists' and scientists' perceptions determined different opinions on proper calf-rearing management practices. Combining different knowledge systems offers the possibility of a more complete understanding, which is required for the derivation of adoptable calf mortality-reducing interventions that are compatible with the knowledge and production systems of the pastoralists.