One humped camel. Rabbits and camels are a deadly danger to Australia Australian camels

Did you know that wild camels are a big problem in Australia?

In Australia, where in the near future a massive hunt may be announced for these animals in order to save the ecological balance in the country.

The Australian government itself is taking this initiative. It intends to send a bill to parliament recognizing the shooting of camels as a measure to combat the "overpopulation" of camels.

When camels were brought to the continent as a means of transport in the 19th century, no one then imagined that the "ships of the desert" would take root and proliferate so well that they would become the subject of government headaches. But this is how it became, because in Australia these animals have no natural enemies, why shouldn't they then reproduce. Their population doubles every 9 years.

Currently, millions of wild camels are jumping around Australia wherever they want, while being an incredible headache for landowners and farmers. Just imagine: they are not eaten here, there are practically no enemies, they are not hunted and the largest herd has appeared in a fairly short period. camels on earth!

What is the problem with camels, it would seem ... And the fact that they consume just a huge amount of water when they get to it. In arid regions it is not enough, but here there is still such a crowd running around and frightening the local inhabitants. Farmers simply do not know what to do with them, and from "real Australians" such as kangaroos, emus and various reptiles, these colossus take not only water, but also food.

Camels cause significant harm to the nature of Australia - in some areas they destroy up to 80% of all vegetation. For the local ecosystem to begin to disappear, it is enough that only a few camels live on 1 square kilometer of the territory! And when a drought hits Australia, wild camels in search of water break down fences, break unattended pumps, taps and even toilets.

It does not take a herd of camels long to drink all the water from the artesian spring, even if the water remains after them, it will quickly go bad. Of course, these animals consume a lot of water, and the rest becomes rotten, and fish cannot survive in it, ”said Ian Ferguson, head of the Australian non-profit organization Ninti One, whose words were quoted in the message. "The easiest, fastest and cheapest way is to shoot these animals from the air," Turner said. As ABC explained, the snipers will be sent to rural areas by helicopter. Exactly how many animals will be slaughtered, it has not been reported; in many places there are simply too many camels. In an interview with the Australian broadcaster ABC, Turner stated that in some places farmers report 200 animals congregating at one well. In agricultural areas, the number of camels has reached 60 thousand, and they often drink water intended for sheep and cows.

In addition, Ferguson pointed out that camels disable wind turbines and roam the roads, creating a safety problem for motorists.

In general, there is a problem, and the authorities do not know what to do with it. It is proposed to sell them for meat where they are eaten, but who will do it. and on what? It has not been fully resolved. And local farmers are still solving their problems with a bullet.

When the Arabs were told that camels in Australia - they could not understand in any way what the problem was? There it is a popular meat, but here it runs freely, and even so well fed, and the paws of the camels - the lower meaty part - is just an Arabian delicacy. What the problem is for some is not at all clear - for others.

The draft law proposes to exterminate - neither more nor less - about 1.2 million animals, while hunters will be awarded a reward of $ 70 Australian dollars for each animal killed. Also camels will be driven to slaughterhouses - it seems that the production of camel meat for third countries will only be encouraged.

In the early 1800s, no European man could venture across the vast Australian continent without a suitable animal capable of walking on dry and often sandy soil. In 1822, a Danish-French geographer named Malthe Conrad Bruun suggested that the camel might be the solution to this problem.

The first camel was purchased from the Spaniards in the Canary Islands and arrived in Australia in 1840 as part of an expedition led by John Horrocks. Unfortunately, this animal contributed to the accidental death of Horrocks - the researcher, sitting astride a camel, was reloading his gun to shoot the bird, but the animal jerked, catching the trigger with the equipment, the gun fired and led to serious injuries to John, from which he died 23 days later.

In 1860, 24 camels and 3 camels were transported from India to join Burke and Wills' expedition deep into Australia. The expedition was a disaster, Burke and Wills lost their lives, but the humpbacked animals showed their best side. Some camels from this expedition escaped and may have formed the first wild camel population in Australia.

Having proved their usefulness, a huge number of camels were brought to the mainland. Between 1870 and 1900, more than 15,000 camels and 3,000 drovers arrived on the continent. The animals provided invaluable assistance in exploring the interior of Australia, establishing the first telegraph line across the desert from Adelaide to Darwin, and building a railroad between Port Augusta and Alice Springs. This railway is known today as the Ghan, in honor of the drovers who led the camels during its construction.

With the advent of motor vehicles and railways, camels were no longer needed, and by the 1930s most of the animals had been released. The one-humped camel was ideal for the dry Australian deserts, and the lack of predators and the availability of a good food base led to a rapid increase in the camel population.

In 1966, it was estimated that 20,000 wild camels live in the wild in Australia. By 2008, their number was 500,000 individuals. The population of one-humped camels has grown so much that they are now considered a serious threat to the continent's ecosystem. A massive shootout of these animals was carried out between 2008 and 2013, reducing the population to about 350,000 individuals.

Camels affect the Australian environment in the following ways:

• They eat vegetation up to a height of 4 meters. Many local animals are unable to reach the remaining leaves of these plants.
• They move in huge herds of up to 1000 individuals, severely depleting vegetation, depriving the local fauna of a food source.
• Drain and pollute water bodies, resulting in a shortage of water for others. (One camel can drink 200 liters of water in less than 3 minutes.)
• Destroy windmills, fences and eat livestock vegetation.
• Sometimes they pose a threat of road accidents on highways, railways and even runways.

Did you know that there are about 300,000 wild camels in Australia? There are so many camels here that Australia exports them to the Middle East! The first 10,000 camels were brought to the Australian continent in the 19th century - they were used to transport goods.

In 1922, the number of domestic camels reached 22 thousand. The development of railways and highways has completely displaced the "ships of the desert" from the transport sector. Many of the animals were left on their own. They roamed freely, multiplied and, as a result, firmly established themselves in the deserted Australian lands.

And what is there now?

There are no predators in Australia, so over a hundred years, wild camels have multiplied incredibly - their numbers doubled every year. By 2009, Australia was home to about a million camels. Moreover, wild camel herds can now be found only in Australia - there is no such thing even in Egypt and the UAE. In 2002, Australia began exporting camel meat, popular with the Arabs, to the United Arab Emirates. Australian cross-country camels are appreciated in Arab countries.

Camels cause significant harm to the nature of Australia - in some areas they destroy up to 80% of all vegetation. For the local ecosystem to begin to disappear, it is enough that only a few camels live on 1 square kilometer of the territory! And when a drought hits Australia, wild camels in search of water break down fences, break unattended pumps, taps and even toilets.

It will not take a herd of camels long to drink all the water from the artesian spring, even if the water remains after them, it will quickly go bad. Of course, these animals consume a lot of water, and the rest becomes rotten, and fish cannot survive in it, ”said Ian Ferguson, head of the Australian non-profit organization Ninti One, whose words were quoted in the message. "The easiest, fastest and cheapest way is to shoot these animals from the air," Turner said. As ABC explained, snipers will be sent to rural areas by helicopter. Exactly how many animals will be slaughtered are not reported; in many places, there are simply too many camels. Turner said in an interview with Australian broadcaster ABC that in some places farmers report 200 animals piling up at one well. In agricultural areas, the number of camels has reached 60 thousand, and they often drink water intended for sheep and cows.

In addition, Ferguson pointed out that camels disable wind turbines and roam the roads, creating a safety problem for motorists.

The Australian government is currently implementing a program to reduce the number of wild camels in the country. So, since 2008, the authorities shot 135 thousand of these animals from helicopters, and another 25 thousand were used for commercial purposes, for example, they were slaughtered for meat. According to experts, the current population of wild camels in Australia is about 140 thousand animals.

Back in 2011, the Australian authorities decided to carry out a mass slaughter of camels. The population of these animals is growing too fast and threatens the welfare of small ruminants. Camels will be shot from the air.

The camels appear to have followed the fate of other animals brought to Australia. In all cases, the problem is in the absence of predators that are able to restrain the uncontrolled reproduction of "guests".

First, the Green Continent faced an invasion of rabbits, once brought by an English rich man who wanted to shoot at his leisure. Another sad lesson was taught to Australians by the poisonous cane toads introduced to control pests on sugar cane plantations.

Australian agricultural land surveyor Chris Turner estimates that the camel population is increasing by 11% per year. In 2011, about half a million of these artiodactyls walked along the sands of central, northern and western Australia, swaying their humps.

However, environmental movements are concerned about the authorities' plans. Hugh Wirth, President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Australia, said: “You shoot while in motion, the animal in motion. It is impossible to kill instantly, cleanly, humanely in such conditions ”.

Australia's Animals were even more critical in their comments, with CEO Glenis Ugyes calling the planned shooting a "meat grinder." According to her, previous shootings of wild horses and goats have shown that this is a very tough activity in relation to animals. Fatal wounds are inflicted on the animals, but they cannot be killed quickly.

“We have seen the monstrous cruelty inherent in these killings and, acting from the air, it is almost impossible to make sure that every animal is killed,” she said.

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One of the amazing facts about Australia is the large herds of wild camels. In central Australia, about 300 to 750 thousand wild camels live according to various estimates.

Australia even exports them to the Middle East! The first 10,000 camels were brought to the Australian continent in the 19th century from the Arabian Peninsula, India and Afghanistan for the transport of goods.

In 1922, the number of domestic camels reached 22 thousand. By this time, the development of railways and highways drove the "ships of the desert" out of the transport service and they were left on their own. Camels moved freely, multiplied and as a result firmly settled in the desert regions of the Australian continent.

There are no camel-hunting predators in Australia, so over a hundred years, wild camels have proliferated incredibly - doubling each year. By 2008, Australia was home to about a million camels.

Moreover, wild camel herds can be found only in Australia - there is no such thing even in Egypt and the UAE. In 2002, Australia began exporting camel meat, popular with the Arabs, to the United Arab Emirates. Australian cross-country camels are appreciated in Arab countries.

Wild camels cause significant harm to the nature of Australia - in some areas they destroy up to 80% of all vegetation. In order for the local ecosystem to suffer, it is enough that only a few camels live on 1 square kilometer of the territory! And when a drought hits Australia, wild camels in search of water destroy fences, break unattended pumps, taps and even toilets.

A herd of camels does not need a lot of time to drink all the water from a single artesian source, even if the water remains after them, it will quickly go bad. “These animals consume a lot of water, and the rest becomes rotten, and the fish cannot survive in it,” says Ian Ferguson, head of the Australian non-profit organization Ninti One.

In addition, Ferguson pointed out that camels disable wind turbines and roam the roads, creating a safety problem for motorists. In populated agricultural areas, the number of camels has reached 60 thousand, and they often drink water intended for sheep and cows.

The easiest, fastest and cheapest way to limit the population of camels is to shoot these animals from the air.

The Australian government is currently implementing a program to reduce the number of wild camels in the country. So, since 2008, the authorities have destroyed 135 thousand of these animals from helicopters, and another 25 thousand were used for commercial purposes, they were slaughtered for meat. According to experts, at that time the population of wild camels in central Australia was more than 140 thousand animals.

The camels appear to have followed the fate of other animals brought to Australia. In all cases, the problem is the absence of predators that are able to restrain the uncontrolled breeding of "guests"

Australian agricultural land surveyor Chris Turner estimates that the camel population is currently growing at 11% per year. In 2011, about half a million of these artiodactyls walked along the sands of central, northern and western Australia, swaying humps.