Exotic Animals - Herbivores
The Feral Camel - Camelus Dromedarius
Between 1840 and 1907 up to 20000 camels were imported into Australia to serve in exploration ventures and the cartage industry. Camels played an important role in the early development of the arid interior of the continent. During the 1920s trucks came into general use and reliance on the camel rapidly declined. Despite efforts to destroy unwanted camels during the 1920s feral populations established in many inland areas.
Feral camels now occupy an estimated 2.8 million km2, or over 37% of the Australian mainland. Within the Northern Territory feral camels occur over an area of approximately 550000 km2, or around 40% of the land area. Distribution is confined to two main regions: the eastern desert area, comprised principally of the Simpson Desert and fringing pastoral properties, and the western desert area comprised of the Central Ranges, Great Sandy Desert and Tanami bioregions. Minimal pastoral activity occurs in the areas predominantly used by feral camels. Although commonly associated with sandy country, camels can be found in any of the habitat types in the southern half of the Northern Territory.
An aerial survey conducted in 2001 indicated that there were approximately 200,000 feral camels in the Northern Territory. As populations continue to increase, so too does the frequency of incursions by feral camels onto pastoral lands and national parks.
Generally, the environmental impacts of feral camels are poorly understood. Although classed as a browsing animal with an upper lip designed to grip and strip leaves, and a long tongue to assist, camels also graze. They are capable of eating most of the plant species available. Feral camels selectively eat rare plant species including Swainsona cyclocarpa and quandong (Santalum acuminatum). Feral camels are known to frequent salt lakes and their impact in these fragile areas in particular is a cause for concern because some rare plants including Swainsona microcalyx occur there. Feral camels are also known to foul waterholes and damage stock fences and infrastructure at cattle watering points. All of these factors are prompting the need for a better understanding of the environmental impacts of feral camels and the concomitant development of effective management techniques for the species.
Currently, camel management in the Northern Territory is limited to the live muster of wild animals. The Central Australian Camel Industry Association currently harvests around 5,000-8,000 feral camels from the wild as an alternative meat resource, and sells live animals on both the domestic and international markets. While this offtake is not enough to curtail population growth, it reduces some of the pressure on the environment caused by wild camels. In remote areas where it is not economically feasible to harvest camels, the only option available for reducing camel numbers and impacts is aerial culling.
