Even the Camels are Thirsty

The worst drought in over 100 years is also causing grief for the million feral camels in Australia. Plans are being prepared for a massive cull of these environmentally destructive imports. They compete for scare food, wreck fences, water bores and dams, as well as native plants.

The population can double every 8 years so it’s a big problem, and they share the outback with another 7 million feral goats as well. The camels have become mad with thirst as water holes and dams are all dry and they recently rampaged through a remote community damaging toilets, faucets and even air conditioners as they tried to find water.

These single-hump camels, or as they are correctly known as dromedaries, came into Australia for use as pack animals carrying supplies into vast outback in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, and they came with their experienced Afghan herders.

The list of feral animals that are of significant concern are feral camels, horses, donkeys, pigs, European wild rabbits, European red foxes, cats, goats and cane toads. As all these beasts have few natural predators and some very large tracts of sparsely-populated real estate in which to range, the various animal populations have soared. The Boer-Goat-Blog – The latest goat news