5,000 Camels Were Put Down By Officials In Drought-Ridden Areas Of Australia

Jan 15, 2020 by apost team

Roughly 5,000 feral camels have been shot dead in drought-ridden areas in Australia following complaints the animals have been endangering locals as they desperately seek water. 

APY Lands (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) said in a statement last Monday that a growing feral camel population in the area are "putting pressure on the remote Aboriginal communities" in their search for water. 

The group also said the animals were consuming vital food supplies in the aread and threatening local communities.

apost.com

APY announced yesterday that they have successfully completed the operation aiming to “control feral camel herds,” which saw 5,000 culled in 5 days.

Richard King, general manager to APY, said the feral camel population has exploded in the area in recent years and was causing “significant damage” to infrastructure and native vegetation. 

“The prolonged dry period, while not difficult for native wildlife, leads to extreme distress for feral camels,” King said in a statement. 

He added that as the weakened camels search for water, they become stuck in remaining soaks and waterholes. When they die, they contaminate and foul the water for other animals and birds. 

“As custodians of the land,” King continued, “we need to deal with an introduced pest in a way that protects valuable water supplies for communities and puts the lives of everyone, including our young children, the elderly, and native flora and fauna first.”

According to King, the move was approved by local authorities and was conducted in “the most humane way.”

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