Mass slaughter planned for invading camels in Australia
ALICE SPRINGS, Australia (AP) — 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 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 $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.
In August, the federal government set aside 19 million Australian dollars for a program to slash 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."
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Let's send PETA to Australia.
Seriously though, why is it they deserve to be gunned down... just because they are thirsty. One of these days man is going to learn he is not the end all be all.
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Quoting stormcris:
Let's send PETA to Australia.
Seriously though, why is it they deserve to be gunned down... just because they are thirsty. One of these days man is going to learn he is not the end all be all.
I dont get why they cant be relocated some where.....but maybe with the drought there is no where to relocate them to.....Just seems like a morbid thing to do,,,to shoot them and let them lay there...People eat camels,,, I wonder if there are people who could use some meat?
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Quote:
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."
Yes..it's so much MORE humane to shut them off from ANY water supply at all and let them dehydrate to death..that's NOT suffering, well at least NOT by human hands...
P
Besides the fact that it is pretty amazing that camels are dying of dehydration, how would one propose you relocate 6000 and growing large animals? I am sure people would sing a different tune if it was their community in ruins and their water supply undrinkable.
I hate the thought of animals suffering, but the fact is these people are suffering from previous mans mistakes. There shouldn't be camels there! There are obviously not enough predators in Australia to keep the population under control and action needs to be taken.
Quoting stormcris:
Let's send PETA to Australia.
Seriously though, why is it they deserve to be gunned down... just because they are thirsty. One of these days man is going to learn he is not the end all be all.
took this from the article
You mean?
P-People
E- Eating
T-Tasty
A-Animals
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Quoting Babiezzz:
Besides the fact that it is pretty amazing that camels are dying of dehydration, how would one propose you relocate 6000 and growing large animals? I am sure people would sing a different tune if it was their community in ruins and their water supply undrinkable.
I hate the thought of animals suffering, but the fact is these people are suffering from previous mans mistakes. There shouldn't be camels there! There are obviously not enough predators in Australia to keep the population under control and action needs to be taken.
Relocation may be tough--but they did it with burros in the Grand Canyon... They are herding them away from town with choppers to kill them--why not herd them to someplace they are not a threat? Slaughter from a helicopter and then leaving them to rot in the desert seems so...Sarah Palin.
Why can't they utilize fences and an alternative source of water. The desperation of these guys seems really sad too.
This is awful!!!
And they the wolves in Alaska - well thats even worse.
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- tericared
on Nov. 26, 2009 at 8:44 PM