Posted on 11/26/2009 1:50:33 PM PST by nickcarraway
Australian authorities plan to corral about 6,000 wild camels with helicopters and gun them down after they overran a small Outback town in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and contaminating supplies.
The Northern Territory government announced its plan Wednesday for Docker River, a town of 350 residents where thirsty camels have been arriving daily for weeks because of drought conditions in the region.
"The community of Docker River is under siege by 6,000 marauding, wild camels," local government minister Rob Knight said in Alice Springs, 310 miles (500 kilometers) northeast of Docker. "This is a very critical situation out there, it's very unusual and it needs urgent action."
The camels, which are not native to Australia but were introduced in the 1840s, have smashed water tanks, approached houses to try to take water from air conditioning units, and knocked down fencing at the small airport runway, Knight said.
The carcasses of camels killed in stampedes at water storage areas are contaminating the water supply, he added.
The government plans to use helicopters to herd the camels about nine miles (15 kilometers) outside of town next week, where they will be shot and their carcasses left to decay in the desert. The state government will give a 49,000 Australian dollar ($45,000) grant for the cull and to repair damaged infrastructure in the town.
"We don't have the luxury of time because the herd is getting bigger," Knight said.
It is common to see some camels in the remote community, but a continuing drought and an early heat wave have dried up other water sources and forced great numbers of them into town. Much of Australia is gripped by some of the worst drought conditions on record.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Camel steaks.
Kill ‘em and grill ‘em!
It could bhe worse.
They could be facing a plague of sister-biting moose.
Anyone here tasted camel before?
Not me, but I’m open to a taste. ;-0
Think goat, but gamier.
Maybe nice in a curry?
That's how I had it. Quite tasty, actually. Believe it or not the Aussies have some small businesses that are actually exporting camel meat to the Middle East.
It probably wouldn't be viable as this town is out in the middle of nowhere making transport costs very high.
“The community of Docker River is under siege by 6,000 marauding, wild camels,”
Someone must a a photo of Joe Camel with a gun!
Mel
Anybody for a camel drive?
Rawhide
Rollin’ Rollin’ Rollin’
Keep movin’, movin’, movin’,
Though they’re disapprovin’,
Keep them doggies movin’ Rawhide!
Don’t try to understand ‘em,
Just rope and throw and grab ‘em,
Soon we’ll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart’s calculatin’
My true love will be waitin’, be waiting at the end of my ride.
Move ‘em on, head ‘em up,
Head ‘em up, move ‘em out,
Move ‘em on, head ‘em out Rawhide!
Set ‘em out, ride ‘em in
Ride ‘em in, let ‘em out,
Cut ‘em out, ride ‘em in Rawhide.
Nope, but I’ve eaten “the mystery meat your Uncle Howard shot” when it wasn’t hunting season for any known critter. I don’t think it could have been camel, in Missouri ...
Silly, but what the heck.
“Anyone here tasted camel before?”
Yes. I had camel kabobs in Afghanistan. It wasn’t very good. Very funky.
I’d fly 12000 miles to smoke a camel.
Yes I have. It was farm bred camel, much like our beef. I could not tell the difference in taste, texture, or appearance from veal. I would imagine the wild camel would be quite different, eg., the difference between Thanksgiving turkey and wild turkey (and not the liquid kind).
Was there one wearing a leather jacket named “Joe’’?
There not enough hunters/sportsmen who would be more than happy to have a new variety of “hunt”? I think it would be cool - make good outdoor channel viewing too! Hunt them with traditional archery, modern archery, Muzzleloader, modern gun, etc. Then feed the poor with those that the hunters don’t want...
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