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Aug 11, 2009 02:15 PM | 23
Here’s a potentially tasty solution to Australia’s invasive species: Eat them.
The Australian government plans to fly in marksmen on helicopters to shoot 650,000 camels and turn them into burgers and other meaty treats, reports the Associated Press.
In the 1840s, explorers first brought camels of all sorts to Australia from India and the Middle East. Today, there are more than 1 million one- and two-humped animals in Australia and their population has been doubling every nine years. In a land where vegetation is already scarce, camels are competing with native fauna and livestock. They also, apparently, are fond of breaking water pipes and bathrooms in their quest for hydration.
Last month, the government ponied up $16 million to cull the camels, which rank as Australia’s largest invasive species. The country has had no luck fighting smaller critters like rabbits and cane toads, despite massive biocontrol programs and volunteer efforts.
Animal rights groups are upset about the proposal, but Tony Peacock of the University of Canberra's Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Center brushed off their concerns.
"To be shot from a helicopter is actually quite humane, even though that sounds brutal,” he told the Associated Press. “If I was a camel, I'd prefer to just get it in the head."
Image of camel courtesy Paleontour via Flickr
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23 Comments
Add CommentMy gosh! That is sick. I know there are ostrich farms, but I doubt they shoot 650,000 of them at once.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGuess it's better than smoking them?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@shevonne
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisyeah - but imagine the profit for that marksman! I can see it now: "$5 to meet the man who shot 650,000 camels at once"!
on a serious note: this sort of thing happens all the time on a smaller scale. I recall years ago when the Town of Chatham (Chatham, MA 02633), despite controversy, hired an "environmentalist" to "get rid" of the Coyotes.
link: http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/wildlife_news/monomoy_coyotes_under_attack_again.html
That plan backfired, as I recall: Female coyotes went into heat off-cycle and immediately when members of the pack were killed, causing the population to bloom instead of subside. Despite this failure, the premise was sound: native species were at risk due to over-population of an invasive species, so kill the invader before the natives are overrun.
Consider this absurd? That itch in your mind, taken a bit more extreme, would prevent you from exterminating rodents in your home if they are abundant enough; or to let the japanese beetles destroy huge swaths of vegetation because killing so many of them would be wrong.
Now if we can do the same to wild horses and burrows in the US. Bleeding hearts get in the way of real environmentalism.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYep. That's right Shevonne. 650,000 marksmen will be in the air to cull the camels all at once. From news crews in L.A. to the Russian Army, everyone is donating their helicopters for one glorious moment titled Operation Camels Down... Under. Consequently, Joe Camel was unavailable for comment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is the most disgusting piece of news I've heard in quite a while.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow is this disgusting? If the camels aren't culled, than many of the native herbivores will die from lack of food. Not to mention that at their current population growth, they will eventually eat ALL available vegetation, and will then slowly starve to death. This is actually a much more humane way to die.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow is this disgusting? If the camels aren't culled, than many of the native herbivores will die from lack of food. Not to mention that at their current population growth, they will eventually eat ALL available vegetation, and will then slowly starve to death. This is actually a much more humane way to die.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow is this disgusting? If the camels aren't culled, than many of the native herbivores will die from lack of food. Not to mention that at their current population growth, they will eventually eat ALL available vegetation, and will then slowly starve to death. This is actually a much more humane way to die.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisStarlings are more of a problem in the US because they are out competing our native birds as well, although they are endangered species in Britain.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHave Sarah Palin shoot the poor camels from the helicopter. The quieter needs a job since she couldn't cut it as Alaska's governor. Besides she is trigger happy to shoot any defenseless living animal on this planet. She likes to have blood on her hands. mproo
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe need some of this here in England to get rid of your blasted American grey squirrels!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisso lets net the starlings and ship em to britain
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI didn't know that were camels in Australia! I do recall a discussion years ago about bringing camels to the US but I can't recall why. Q
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlternatively they could introduce some big cats or wolves to eat the camels...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs an ecologist in Africa I am passionate about our fauna and flora and my heart aches at the enormous damage humans are responsible for on our planet. BUT we are now the custodians of actions taken by previous generations and we need to be realistic and look at the long term outcome of our present day actions or lack there of.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy favourite animal above all are the Elephant. Their sensitivity, intelligence and communication skills are under estimated, but because of man, they HAVE to be culled. We have tried all other options for the past decade and have arrived back at the same answer.....they will eat themselves and all other herbivores in the region, to extinction. That will be a long slow painful death....so sometimes ugly and harsh actions have to be taken to save the species. Be as 'green' as you want, but also be understanding of the situation. Many who undertake to do the necessary, have tears in their eyes!
I spent almost 2 years in the outback and didn't see a single camel. I do know that the ranchers kill every one that they see. But I did witness the human-introduced disease, myxomatosis, and the millions of blind rabbits that were the result. The problem with the rabbits is that there are very few native predators. The dingos are rare and are the top of the chain and were wiped out for the sake of the sheep, which require over a hundred acres per pair. In Tasmania they made a line of hunters and walked across the island, killing the marsupial cats and the native humans as well. Australia has a sad history, which they are trying to change, of being a good custodian of their unique and fascinating environment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBottom line is that the camels WILL destroy the native flora and fauna, just prior to their own demise. At least the meat won't go to waste. I eat yak, buffalo, deer and elk. I wonder where camel falls in the taste line.
From the witty sarcasm, I just might believe that was really Ted Nugent. But seriously, "Ted", I bet the backstrap is delicious.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHopefully this enterprise will not seek to kill all these animals at once but will spread out the cull over the year to maintain a regular supply of meat. The quota should also me well managed to avoide the supply going the way of the fish supply in our oceans.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have GOT to arrange a vacation around cull time. I would love to compare the venerable 30-06's effectiveness on camels to our standard North American species. I am sure it would do well, but somethings just have to be observed personally to be properly believed. Then grilled. Several ways of course.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThose camel killers better watch what they're shooting, or someone is going to get shot.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know it sounds silly mistaking a person for a camel, but sometimes it happens.
Australians tend to burn their meat. And most of them could care less if you "accidently" shot one of the black fellas.
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