Australian outback town invaded.

[Cujo]

That's a lot of thirsty camels.

Thirsty camels lay siege to Australian Outback town

Docker River, an Australian Outback town, is under siege from 6,000 wild camels which have laid waste to the area in search of water.



By Murray Wardrop
Published: 4:20PM GMT 26 Nov 2009

Camels were first brought to Australia to help explorers travel through the desert Photo: EPA


Residents in the Northern Territory settlement have been left cowering in their homes after the animals trampled fences, smashed through water mains and invaded the airstrip.
The camels, driven to extreme lengths by prolonged drought, have even tried to force their way into people’s homes to drink water from air conditioning units and taps.


However, authorities are planning to reclaim the town, which is home to around 350 people, by herding up the camels with helicopters and shooting them.
Rob Knight, the local government minister, said: "The community of Docker River is under siege by 6,000 marauding, wild camels.
"This is a very critical situation out there, it's very unusual and it needs urgent action. We don't have the luxury of time because the herd is getting bigger.”
The government has pledged $49,000 Australian (£27,000) to combating the camels and repairing damage they have caused. Over the next week, helicopters will be used to drive them about nine miles into the desert before marksmen cull them from the air.
The move has been welcomed by the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association.
It’s chief Luke Bowen said: "This is a plague of biblical proportions laying waste to a sensitive and arid environment. We have to have action, we have to have it now.”
He added that farmers were sick of the humped pests, which are estimated to number more than one million in the Northern Territory's vast red-sand reaches.
The camels, which are not native to Australia but were introduced in the 1840s, have smashed water tanks in the town and are becoming more aggressive towards residents.
Local shire chief Graham Taylor said: "I think the words 'under siege' are good words because it talks about people being stuck in their homes and looking out and seeing just numbers of camels at your front door.”
Fears have also been raised that the carcases of camels killed in stampedes at water storage areas are also contaminating the water supply.
In August, the federal government set aside 19 million Australian dollars for a scheme to reduce the wild camel population, including a possible mass slaughter.
Glenys Oogjes, executive director of national advocacy group Animals Australia, said the plan to kill camels by helicopter was barbaric, and that the community could instead focus on setting up barriers to keep out the camels.
"It's a terrible thing that people react to these events by shooting," she said. "The real concern is the terrible distress and wounding when shot by helicopter. There will be terrible suffering."
Camels were first brought to Australia to help explorers travel through the desert.
However, with few natural predators their numbers have swollen and they now compete with sheep and cattle for food and spread disease, They have also destroyed revegetation projects in the desert communities by ripping up plants.

Thirsty camels lay siege to Australian Outback town - Telegraph

[StrontiumDog]

Poor fellas.

[Mr R Sole]

Why not sterilise them and over a relatively short space of time (yrs) they will naturally die out, but at the same time not be cruelly shot to death from nutters in helicopters..that may even get all excited about doing it???
I hope and doubt not.. Ozzies don't seem to be crazed killers like another English speaking country

Either way these animals not doubt saved many a life before in the long forgotten past (explorers) If they are to be shot what will happen to the remains...there was something in the OP that said that they may/were contaminating the water supply...the bodies should be eaten....Bar-b time boys!!!

Send em' back to middle eastern countries maybe someone there that walks hundreds of miles a year could train them and use them as transport who knows??

[sabang]

6,000 camels and a population of 300- Docker rivers got a real problem. Lets just hope they don't find the booze.

[BarnacleBill]

Glenys Oogjes, executive director of national advocacy group Animals Australia, said the plan to kill camels by helicopter was barbaric, and that the community could instead focus on setting up barriers to keep out the camels.
"It's a terrible thing that people react to these events by shooting," she said. "The real concern is the terrible distress and wounding when shot by helicopter. There will be terrible suffering."

Perhaps if Glenys Oogjes was to live in the township and be confined to her own home she might have a different opinion of camels!

[nedwalk]

what a great opportunity!! harvest the bastards while they are there, and sell em for export, or farm them, source a market , then butcher them

[Cujo]

what a great opportunity!! harvest the bastards while they are there, and sell em for export, or farm them, source a market , then butcher them

Exactly, beats rounding them up.

[dirtydog]

Thousands of camels in Australia's remote Outback could be killed by marksmen in helicopters under a government proposal aimed at cutting down the population of the havoc-wreaking creatures.
First introduced into Australia in the 1840s to help explorers travel through the Australian desert, there are now about 1 million camels roaming the country, with the population doubling every nine years.

They compete with sheep and cattle for food, trample vegetation and invade remote settlements in search of water, scaring residents as they tear apart bathrooms and rip up water pipes.

Last month, the federal government set aside 19 million Australian dollars ($16 million) for a program to help slash the population. Besides sending in sharpshooters in helicopters and on foot, officials are considering proposals to turn some of the creatures into tasty treats such as camel burgers.

[dirtydog]

[Cujo]

Thousands of camels in Australia's remote Outback could be killed by marksmen in helicopters under a government proposal aimed at cutting down the population of the havoc-wreaking creatures.
First introduced into Australia in the 1840s to help explorers travel through the Australian desert, there are now about 1 million camels roaming the country, with the population doubling every nine years.

They compete with sheep and cattle for food, trample vegetation and invade remote settlements in search of water, scaring residents as they tear apart bathrooms and rip up water pipes.

Last month, the federal government set aside 19 million Australian dollars ($16 million) for a program to help slash the population. Besides sending in sharpshooters in helicopters and on foot, officials are considering proposals to turn some of the creatures into tasty treats such as camel burgers.

Why don't they stop talking about it and just do it.
Camel hump is on the menu in most Chinese restaurants by the way, so there's an added export earner bonus to boot.
They could also put a bounty on the carcass, thus creating jobs for the guys in landcruisers.

[StrontiumDog]

Besides sending in sharpshooters in helicopters and on foot, officials are considering proposals to turn some of the creatures into tasty treats such as camel burgers.

Camel is tasty? Who knew?

[Stinky]

If there's so many camels on the loose why hasn't some enterprising Aussie set up a dog food factory near by?

[Panda]

Poor buggars are dieing of thirst to be so desperate. Best to put em down quickly with a bullet.