The Camel Book

Contents

Compiled by Jo Moloney and other staff of Tangentyere’s Land & Learning

Program, with input and editorial comment from the Central Land Council

Land Management Unit, NT Parks & Wildlife, Centralian Land Management

Association, Greening Australia and the Central

Australian Camel Industry Association.

Copyright 2005

Photography Credits

Every effort has been made to get the necessary permission for use

of photographs, images and copyright materials. Tangentyere

Landcare apologises if any sources remain unacknowledged and

will be glad to make the necessary changes at the earliest

opportunity.

Introduction......................................................................2

Different ideas about camels on country............................3Where do camels come from?.....................................................4Camel distribution..........................................................5Camel numbers are increasing!............................................6Special adaptations...........................................................7

Camels can change the desert country...............................8Camels eat all sorts of plants..................................................9Camels damage waterholes................................................10

Managing camels............................................................11Fencing.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Protecting waterholes with the ‘Patjarr Spider’.................13Mustering camels...........................................................14Selling camels.................................................................15Culling camels................................................................16

Examples of camel businesses on Aboriginal lands.......17Camels for tourism............................................................18Wild harvest at Docker River............................................19Docker River camel stew..............................................................20

Who can you contact?...........................................................21Useful reports...............................................................22

This book has been written for Indigenous communitiesin central Australia. It has been designed for use byIndigenous community rangers, educators working withschools and ranger groups, and land managementagencies working with communities. Other landowners,users and managers in central Australia may also findthe book useful.

Some people think there are too many camels on countryand they are causing a lot of damage. Others feeldifferently. This book attempts to present the rangeof views of people in central Australia and offer someideas for managing camels in desert country.

In preparing this book, Tangentyere Landcare staff metwith land owners, camel industry advisors and scientists.We have tried to present cultural and scientificexperiences of camels in central Australia. Thankyouto everyone who shared their ideas, photographs andtime in discussion and review of the book.

This book can be used as a resource to facilitatediscussion and planning for camel management. It isone step in the process of different groups workingtogether to better understand the effects of camelsin desert country.

IntroductionTell us if you have found the book useful. If you wouldlike to contribute other information, experiences andstories please contact us.

Land and Learning Program

Phone: 08 89533120

Fax: 08 89523 185

email: landcare@tangentyere.org.au

www.schools.nt.edu/tlcland2

When we talked with people we learnt that not everyonehas the same ideas about feral camels. Scientists,pastoralists, young people, old people and people fromdifferent Aboriginal communities have different ideasabout how the camels should be managed. In 1995 theCentral Land Council talked with Aboriginal landmanagers and this is what some people said about feralcamels and other feral animals on their country...

“We tried to get some money to get rid of them but nothing.”

“We could sell that camel meat to other communities.”

“Donkey, camel and horse, God made them all the same way.”

“People happier less horse and camel and more emu and warlu.”

“Camel, donkey and horse, they have no Dreaming, new ones, travelled in from somewhere.”

“God made all the animals so they fit in together okay.”

“Too many animals now. They breeding up.”

“We want to keep those (feral) animals.”

“Feral animals come into the country and settle down, now they belong here.”

“Plenty of feral animals they should be used.”

“They should look after those camels because they got the Three Camels Dreaming.”Rose, B. 1995.

Land Management Issues: Attitudes and perceptions amongst Aboriginal people of central Australia

To manage feral camels in central Australia, TraditionalOwners, pastoralists, Parks and Wildlife, Central LandCouncil and other government and non-government landmanagement agencies will need to work together.

Different ideas about camels on country

3

Camels were first bought to Australia in 1840. Theywere bought from India, Afghanistan and the MiddleEast. Experienced Afghan camel handlers came toAustralia to manage camel herds.

In the early days camels were a very important methodof transport for explorers. By 1900 there were 10,000domestic camels in Australia. Most of these camelswere used for transporting supplies, wool, wheat,railway and telegraph materials.

Many Aboriginal people worked with camels and someeven owned their own mobs. Some Arrernte peoplestill tell stories about travelling around country oncamels, catching possums and dingoes for the fur trade.

In the 1920s people started using cars and trains.Many of the working camels were let go in arid bushcountry. Camels are well-suited to living in this country.They established free-ranging herds and bred up,slowly at first. Now Australia is the only country inthe world with wild camels.

Where do camels come from?

Alice S

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Lib

rary

websi

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Camels carrying railway sleepers

Middle EastAfghanistan

India

4

Large numbers of camels live and travel around theSimpson Desert and western desert areas. A lot of thiscountry is Aboriginal land.

Camels travel across large areas of land usuallyfollowing natural drainage lines. Scientists havetracked camels and found that they can travel longdistances, up to 400km. Camels searching for foodcan travel up to 70km a day. In good seasons camelsget most of the water they need from the plants theyeat. If the plants are dry the camels need to drinkevery 2 or 3 days.

In dry seasons camels usually travel less and stay closeto both natural and man-made water sources includingwaterholes, salt pans, bores and cattle troughs.

Parks and Wildlife rangers and scientists have beencounting wild camels and have found that...

Camel distribution

Camel numbers are increasing!♦ In 1990 there were around 30,000 camels living in

the Northern Territory.

♦ By 2001 there were more than 200,000 wild camelsin the Northern Territory.

Scientists estimate that camel numbers are doublingevery 8 years! By 2009 there could be a million wildcamels in Australia.

Distribution Map

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To stop the numbers of camels increasing like this,

at least 10% of the total camel population needs

to be wild-harvested, sold or culled every year. On

current figures that is at least 20,000 camels every

year in the Northern Territory.5

2001

Camel numbers are increasing!

1940

Camels released intobush, at least 5,0005,0005,0005,0005,000feral camels

Scale 1 camel on this page = 2,000 camels in the bush

1966

15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 feral camels,5,000 in NT

At least 30,00030,00030,00030,00030,000feral camels inNT

1990 20012001200120012001

Around 200,000 feral

camels in the NT

500,000 in Australia

1800 19001840

Early daysno camels

first camelsbrought toAustralia

at least 10,000 camelsin Australia

6

Special adaptationsCamels do well in the desert country because their bodies are suited to dry conditions. Camels need to drink waterless often than cattle, horses or donkeys. This is because their body is adapted to keep cool and save water.

Sketch: Jo Moloney

The camel has big feet to stop it sinking into the

soil. The foot has 2 toes and a soft, cushioned

pad which is heat resistant.

The camel has long legs which allow the air

to move under its body, helping to keep it cool.

The camel’s neck is long, so it can eat or drink

without kneeling. (An adult camel’s neck can

reach upto 3.5 metres).

The camel’s eyes are protected from sand and

sun by thick eyebrows and lashes. The eyelid is

transparent. This means the camel can see when

its eyes are shut.

The calloused (hard) patches on the camel’s

knees and chest protect the skin and muscles

from damage when the camel lies on hot or

rough ground.

The camel’s hump is made of fat. This is an

emergency food store.

The camel has a thick furry winter coat to keep

it warm. In summer it sheds its fur so it can

keep cool.

The camel has slit nostrils to stop sand blowing

in and to prevent moisture loss.

The camel’s ears are small and furry which helps

to keep the sand out.

The camel has a split lip which makes it very

suited to eating leaves off trees and shrubs.

7

Camels can change the desert country

Big mobs of camels can change country by:

• eating trees, shrubs and grasses (including

bush tucker plants)

• breaking and knocking down trees and shrubs

• drinking up waterholes

• disturbing sandy soils and sensitive areas

around salt pans

• taking food and water that kangaroos and

other native animals might eat

When they are travelling around country, camels can

also break stock fences and damage cattle watering

points. This causes expensive problems for pastoralists

and Aboriginal communities.

Camels damage soilCamels have a soft, cushion-like foot pad which is goodfor travelling through sand country. Technically camels’feet do not damage the soil as much as cattle and horsehooves. But big mobs of camels can cause soil damage.In the desert country it is easy to see camel tracksthat have loosened the soil. During heavy rain this loosesoil can wash away. As camels are moving around countrythey can trample plants. Saltpan environments aresensitive and the saltpan plants are easily damaged bybig mobs of camels.

Photo

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ph ©

Hans

Boess

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50 camels in a wild herd

8

Photo

gra

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Mic

hael Barr

itt

The impacts of camels are becoming more noticeablenow they are around in large numbers.

A herd of wild camels browsing

on native shrubs

Camels eat all sorts of plantsCamels are the largest plant-eating animals in Australia. They have asplit upper lip for browsing leaves off trees and shrubs.

Camels eat many different types of plants depending on the season. Theywill eat fresh grasses but seem to prefer leaves from trees and shrubs,such as supplejack, whitewood, emu bush, saltbush, applebush and acacia.They will eat almost all plants but their favourite plants and trees arequandongs, plumbush and bean trees. These are important bush tuckerplants for Aboriginal people.

Although people think that camels spend most of their time in sand dunecountry, camels often travel into rough stoney country in search of theirfavourite plants.

If too many camels eat from the same tree, that tree can be killed.

Camels can stop young trees from growing up!Photo

gra

ph: Pete

r Seid

el

Camel eating grass

Photo

gra

ph:

Dave A

llbre

cht

Photo

gra

ph:

Mic

hael Barr

itt

9

bush potato

quandong

Photo

gra

ph:

Dave A

llbre

cht

bean tree

plumbush

Photo

gra

ph:

Pete

r Seid

el

Too many camels using water places cause damage by:

♦ falling into waterholes and dying

♦ trampling delicate plants near waterholes

♦ contaminating the water with droppings

♦ damaging the soil and causing erosion.

In communities camels can damage taps and toilets, and eat the shade trees.

Camels in search of water on pastoral properties sometimes cause damage to troughs, bores and yards.

Cartoon: Blair McFarland

Each adult camel will drink about 30-40 litres a daywhen there is plenty of water. Camels can live withoutdrinking water for about 2 weeks. This is because theyget water from the plants they eat and because theyhave a fat hump. A thirsty camel can drink about 100litres of water in a couple of minutes. During dry timesbig mobs of thirsty camels can quickly drink all of thewater in waterholes, small soaks and salt lakes, so thereis a lot less water for native animals.

Many water places are traditional sacred sites. Somepeople are worried about the damage camels are doingto these sites.

Camels damage waterholes

10

More and more people are becoming worried about the damage big mobs of camels are doing to country. Lots ofpeople have been thinking about ways to reduce their numbers. To manage feral camels on your country you could:

Managing camels

Keep camels outFence and protect important waterholes and sacred sites.

Sell camelsMuster the camels and sell them. Mustering can be expensive and dependson good markets.

Cull the camelsCulling involves either ground or aerial shooting of camels. The camels aregenerally shot to waste, so some people do not like doing this. It is alsoexpensive to cull camels.

11

Fencing

Electric fences can be especially designed to keep out camels. These fences need some technical knowledge andmore regular checking than non-electrified fences. Existing fences can be upgraded by adding an electrified plaintop wire.

Camels are big animals, used to travelling across country in search of food, water and, during the breeding season,other camels. Fences can be built to keep camels out of water places, sacred sites and pastoral properties, but thisdoes not reduce numbers of camels on country. Fences can be broken by fighting bull camels or frightened camelson the run. If fences are not strong enough or easy to see, feral camels can push through them.

Good camel fence design

Different types of fences are being used to

successfully control camel movement. Camel

researchers have found that you can make a

good camel fence by extending a standard

cattle fence (with 3 lines of barbed wire) to at

least 1.6 metres high. Tying empty aluminum

cans (beer and or soft drink cans) along the

top wire makes it easier for camels to both

see and hear the fence. Clearing the plants

from both sides of the fence makes the fence

easier to see and slows down the camels, so

less fences get broken.

For more information about camel fencing techniques visit www.primaryindustry.nt.gov.au

Cartoon: Blair McFarland

12

Protecting rockholes with the “Patjarr Spider”To protect important waterholes and rockholes on the sitesaround Warburton in Western Australia and in the AnanguPitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia, Traditional Ownershave been making ‘waterhole spiders’ and other structures.

So far Patjarr Spiders have stopped any camels from

falling into rockholes where they have been built.

Patjarr Spiders can be made from locally available materials.Typically an old Toyota wheel rim is used in the centre/topof the structure. Brackets are welded to the hub to attach8 legs made of standard 50 mm box tube steel. A sheet oftin can be added to the top of the spider to reduceevaporation. The Spider can be chained for cross bracing andto stop native animals falling in.

The Patjarr Spiders are named after the community wherethey were designed and first made. The Patjarr Spider isdesigned to stop camels from getting into a rockhole, so theydon’t get stuck and die. The camel can still drink until thewater gets too shallow. The main thing is to stop them fromdying, not to prevent them from drinking.

The structures fit straight over small rockholes orgnamma holes. They do not require any drilling or otherdamage in order to fit over the holes.

For more information about Patjarr Spiders contact Andrew Drenen - Ngaanyatjarra Land Management Unit phone: 08 8954 0044

Photo

: N

gaanyatj

arr

a L

and M

anagem

ent

Unit

Toyota wheel rim

Brackets

Box tube steel legs

Chain Photo: Ngaanyatjarra Land Management Unit

13

Photograph: Peter Seidel

Camels can be mustered into yards using helicopters and 4-wheel-drives.The animals are held in these speical yards before they are trucked tomarkets. If people are considering mustering, it is important they findout about camel habits, herd locations and numbers. They also need toknow about market demand, industry requirements and regulations. It isimportant to have camel handling skills, to make sure the camels aretreated humanely. Mustering can be an expensive activity, so thereneed to be good market opportunities before people will be interested indoing this work. Approximate costs for helicopter mustering are 3,000to 4,000 dollars per day.

Aerial mustering

Photo

gra

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Hans

Boess

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Mustering camels

Photograph: Peter Seidel

Photograph: Peter Seidel

The Central Australian Camel Industry Association knows a lot about the camel industry and are the best people to talk to

if you are interested in mustering camels for sale (www.camelsaust.com.au).14

Selling camelsCamel management in the Northern Territory has been limited tolive muster of wild animals. The Central Australian Camel IndustryAssociation currently harvests 5,000-8,000 camels from the wildeach year. While this reduces pressure on the country, it is notenough to stop camels damaging country or their numbersincreasing.

Between 1988 and 2002 Australia exported 2,869 live camels toover 11 countries. Some camels are exported live to countries inAsia and the Middle East, where people like to eat camel meat.Some camels are sold within Australia for tourism and for meat.

Camel meat

Camel meat is a low fat, low cholesterol source of protein. Because

the meat is free-range, it is chemical-free. In Alice Springs you can

buy camel meat from the Milner Meat Supply, Charbray Meats

(Yeperenye Shopping Centre) and Shorty’s Quality Meats. Camel meat

costs about the same as beef. Bulk camel meat can be bought at

wholesale prices from the Central Australian Camel Industry Association

(phone: 89518183). The Steak House and Red Ochre Restaurants

also sell camel meat as wild-harvest speciality dishes.

If negotiations with investors are successful, the Central Australian Camel Industry Association intends to build anabattoir near Alice Springs. This will mean a bigger market for camels. Other camel products include milk, whichcan be made into cheese and yoghurt; hides and leather (with or without fur); and wool. For more information oncamel products visit the camel industry web site www.camelsaust.com.au.

Camels being loaded on to a boat for transport to Asia, for meat.

Cart

oon: Bla

ir M

cFarl

and

Camels being loaded on to a plane at Alice Springs airport. These

camels are going to zoos in America.

Photo

gra

ph: Pete

r Seid

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15

Culling camelsIt is not always economic to muster camels for sale.Currently there are not enough markets, the distancesare too far and often there are no roads for trucks totravel on. Shooting camels from the ground or air isanother way of reducing the numbers. Aerial culling isusually more effective than ground culling. Likemustering, culling is expensive work. Depending on thedensity of camels, aerial culling currently costs around20 to 25 dollars per camel. The cost can be as high as 42dollars per camel. Culling to keep camel numbers down,to a level where they are no longer damaging plants andcountry, would cost at least 840,000 dollars per year inthe NT alone.

Aerial culling

Photograph: Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission

Photo

gra

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Hans

Boess

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Camels on the run

Some people do not like to see camels culled for culturaland religious reasons.

In the end people will have to decide what is more

important - camels OR country.

16

Thinking about a camel business?

Contact the Central Australian Camel

Industry Association. They can:

♦ show you a set of camels yards

♦ advise you on the cost of fencing,

mustering, and transporting camels

♦ advise you on industry rules and

regulations

♦ assess the viability of your camel

management plans.

Phone: 08 89518183

Fax: 08 89518188

Examples of camel businesses on Aboriginal lands

Tjuwumpa Resource Centre (near Hermannsburg, 100km west ofAlice Springs). People from around Tjuwumpa have a long history ofstock work. They know the country well and are skilled in stockmanagement. A group of Traditional Owners have fenced countryand are mustering camels in preparation for sale to the chilled meatmarket, hoping that an abattoir will be built in Alice Springs.

Fregon (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, SA). Fregon community has along history of involvement with camels. In the 1990s a Bureau ofResource Science-funded project assisted the community to buildyards and holding paddocks for camels. Camels from Fregon havebeen sold in Sydney and Melbourne. Some people at Fregon areinterested in selling camel hair and other camel products to suitablemarkets. The Central Australian Camel Industry Association Inc. isresearching potential market opportunities.

Angatja (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, SA). For over ten yearsAngatja Outstation has been running cross-cultural tourism activitieson the Pitjantjatjara Lands. Their Aboriginal-owned tourist company,Desert Tracks, is keen to start camel rides.

Watarru (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, SA). A team of young menexperienced in camel handling is planning a commercial camelmanagement business.

Most feral camels live and move around on Aboriginal Lands. Over the years there have been a number of programsthat have tried to encourage the use of camels. Tjuwumpa, Fregon and Angatja currently have camel projects.

17

Camels for tourismThere are over 50 camel farms in Australia. The main businessof these farms is camel rides for tourists.

Some of the places people can can ride camels in central Australia

are:

♦ Outback Camel Safaris

♦ Ross River Homestead

♦ Frontier Camel Farms (Alice Springs & Uluru)

♦ Kings Creek Station (near Watarrka National Park)

♦ Pyndan Camel Tracks (Alice Springs)

The tourism industry advertises Alice Springs as the Camel

Capital of Australia because camels were historically veryimportant here and are now free-ranging in the surroundingcountry.

Camel Cup Alice Springs

Photo

gra

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NTTC

Every year since 1971 the Camel Cup races havebeen held in Alice Springs. This is a big eventfor the tourism industry, camel trainers andriders.

Camel safari near Wartarrka National Park

Phot

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NT

TC

Camel ride on the Todd River Alice Springs

Photo

gra

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NTTC

18

Wild harvest at Docker River

Camel fat for rendering

Every Monday young men at Docker River communityharvest one wild camel. The camel is shot using a303 rifle. A 22 bullet is not strong enough to kill acamel safely and cleanly. The meat is then skillfullybutchered. Most of the meat is used at the youthcentre. Some of the best cuts, like the ribs, aretaken by the young blokes and given to importantpeople as thankyou gifts and gifts of respect. Thisis how meat was shared in traditional times.

This is a non-commerical, community-based activitythat is making a very small difference to camelnumbers and a big difference to the way people thinkabout the skills of young people, the management ofcamels and use of camel meat.

Phot

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ph: Pa

ulin

e F

ietz

Butchering wildharvest

Photo

gra

ph: Pauline F

ietz

Mark Swindells, Mikey Kulitja,

Brett Simon

Photo

gra

ph: Pauline F

ietz

Mikey Kulitja

Young blokes preparing the camel for butchering

19

At the Youth Centre young women work over big pots making healthy camel stew with lots of vegies, beans andspices. On Monday and Tuesday nights kids and young people come from the community to have a big feed of stewand rice. The old people used to say that camel was no good and you should not eat it because of the ‘Three KingsDreaming’. These days even the old people enjoy Docker River camel stew...

For camel meat recipes check out www.camelsaust.com.au

How to cook camel meat

Camel meat can be cooked in lots of different ways. It can becurried, roasted or minced to make sausages and burgers that aregood for selling in community take-away stores. A lot of peoplethink that camel meat is dry and tough ‘too hard to eat’.

Camel meat is good to eat if it is cooked properly. Camel meat islow in cholesterol. It has less fat then beef, so it is important toseal in the juices when you cook it. If the meat is not sealed thenit will loose moisture, shrink and become dry and chewy.

Do not grill camel meat!

You can kill and butcher your own camel meat like they do at DockerRiver. If you are going to sell meat, special camel handling,butchering and health regulations must be followed. Communitystores can buy bulk camel meat at wholesale prices from the CentralAustralian Camel Industry Association (phone: 89518183).

Docker River camel stew

Mincing camel meat...

Photo

gra

ph: Pauline F

ietz

Raelene MitchellRaelene MitchellRaelene MitchellRaelene MitchellRaelene Mitchell

Cooking camel stew...

Ralene Mitchell, Joanne Andrews, Pauline Feitz, Selissa Teamy,

Kumana Andrews, Brenda Tjuwara

Photo

gra

ph: Pauline F

ietz

20

Who can you contact...

Central Land Council - Rural Enterprise Unit - Alice Springs

Phone: 08) 8950 5000

Centralian Land Management Association - Alice Springs

Phone: 08) 8953 4230

Central Australian Camel Industry Association Inc - Alice Springs

Phone: 08) 8951 8183

www.camelaust.com.au

Northern Territory Parks & Willdlife Service - Alice Springs

Phone 08) 8951 8250

Greening Australia NT - Alice Springs

Phone: 08) 8953 2882

If camels are having an impact on your country, you need to decide what to do.The following organisations may be able to help you plan a way to manage the camels.

Ngaanytajarra Land Management Unit - Warburton

Phone: 08 89540044 Fax: 08 8954 0094 nglmu@bigpond.com21

Useful reports

Brian J. 2005. Hoosh - Camels in Australia. ABC Books. Sydney Australia

Dorges B. & Heucke. J. 2003 Demonstration of ecologically sustainable management of camels on Aboriginal and

pastoral land. Natural Heritage Trust Final report project no. 20046

Central Australian Camel Industry Association

Various reports accessible through their web site: www.camelaust.com.au

Edwards G., Saalfeld K. & Clifford. B. Population trend of feral camels in the Northern Territory, Australia NT DIPE,

Alice Springs. (Now NT Dept of Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts - NRETA). This paper has now been

published in Wildlife Research.

NT Department of Primary Industries

All reports accessible through their web site: www.primaryindustry.nt.gov.au

• Camel control using electric fencing (Agnote No. J16)

• Sustainable stocking rates for camels in Central Australia (Technote no. 117)

• Observations of the effects of camel grazing on the vegetation of Central Australia (Technote No. 118)

Phillips A., Heucke J., Dorges B. & O’Reilly G. 2001 Co-grazing of cattle and camels. RIRDC Publication NoD1/092

(www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/NAP/01-092.pdf)

Rose B. 1995 Land Management Issues: Attitudes and perceptions amongst Aboriginal people of central Australia.

Central Land Council Cross Cultural Land Management Project.

Williams O.J. 2002 Capture and handling of camels destined for the abattoir. Central Australian Camel Industry

Association Inc & Rural Industry Research & Development Corporation22