The wild camel population in Australia is to reproduce themselves uncontrollably and to cause problems in the region’s ecosystem.
Although the camels are an icon in the deserts of the Middle East and Africa, few would suspect that Australia could soon welcome the largest camel population in the world – And this is not good news.
Although Somalia, Chad and Sudan are traditionally at the top of the camel list due to their dependence on animals for transport and agriculture, Australia now has the largest number of non -domesticated camelsaccording to the Guinness Book of Records.
The camels, which originally evolved in North America millions of years ago, crossed Asia and Africa, but never naturally came to Australia. Its introduction occurred in the nineteenth century, when colonial authorities imported dromedaryHired camelers from Afghanistan and current Pakistan to sail the vast and arid interior of Australia. When cars eventually replaced camel transportation, many animals were released in the wild.
With few predators, abundant space and limited human interference, the camel populations exploded. Although long-living species usually reproduce slowly, Australia’s wild camels have multiplied rapidly. Currently, estimates range from hundreds of thousands and several million. Despite government slaughtering efforts – which removed at least 100,000 animals – camels are an imminent environmental threat.
The fragile desert ecosystems of Australia evolved without great herbivores, which makes the camels invaders devastating. They consume much more vegetation than native species, they move threatened wildlife and drain or pollute critical water sources. However, not all effects are negative: camels help control invasive weeds and can reduce the risk of fire by eating flammable low vegetation.
In contrast to the wild population of Australia, camels in their origin regions are almost entirely domesticated. Only about 1000 wild Bactrian camels survive in China, while both bactrial and dromedaries in other places are created for transportation, meat and milk, explains.
The camel boom in Australia is largely invisible in the eyes of the public. Tourists do not see camels wandering near cities or being sold in souvenirs, as happens in Egypt. But unless more aggressive management strategies are adopted, camels can become one of the dominant large animals on the continent, at a very high ecological cost.
