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Original poster

OMFGG Thousand of camels to be culled

96 replies

Tortington · 28/07/2009 23:03

here

I never even knew that there were camels there. I am not usually an animal activist as such but this seems so extreme.

I am going to have to leave a comment

OP posts:
notyummy · 29/07/2009 09:17

Why are people irate over this?

Thousands of cows and pigs live and die in horrendous circumstances every year.

At least these animals had freedom to roam before being culled. And has been pointed out, we do exactly the same with deer every year.

pointydog · 29/07/2009 09:20

We have a similar problem in this country with deer. Wolves became extinct, nothing to kill the deer, bufton tuftons like to breed them for hunting, deer running amok destroying trees and plants and leaving a barren wilderness.

So we cull em.

Tuff up, custy

pointydog · 29/07/2009 09:20

other deer lovers have posted, I see

pointydog · 29/07/2009 09:20
Wink
Original poster
Tortington · 29/07/2009 09:21

i think i am the only irate one

i dont think we should justify the barbaric attitude towards the over population of camels and how to stem this - by saying 'well it happens here'

thats not really an argument - it doesn't make it right

so here - do we have safaris to shoot them down in pain?

OP posts:
notyummy · 29/07/2009 09:22

'buftons tuftons'

Hee hee!

I saw some publicity material for the CLA Game fair at Belvoir Castle near us - and it has to be said that the vast majority of people in the photos looked like bufton tuftons to me....

Original poster
Tortington · 29/07/2009 09:23

right, what i am not saying is - don't kill the cutesy wootsy camels

what i am saying is - a long term plan for the sustainable living arrangements and careful monitoring of numbers to forge a balance between the australian eco system and the camels.

and i don't think that taking people out on safari tours is really thinking this through as a long term strategy.

OP posts:
notyummy · 29/07/2009 09:24

They are going to be shot.

It will hurt.

Why is that any worse than having a bolt shot through your head in an abbatoir (SP?) following a long gruelling and terrifyig journey by road?

Original poster
Tortington · 29/07/2009 09:24

well its not is it? does that make it right?

OP posts:
pointydog · 29/07/2009 09:26

I am agin the camel safaris. Very much. But I think the only long term solution is to kill them every so often.

bleh · 29/07/2009 09:26

What do you propose then? They also have culls of whispers elephants every year in South Africa.

At least they're not like those Canadians who believe the only way to kill a seal is to club it to death. That I don't get. Not at all.

notyummy · 29/07/2009 09:27

To get to a sustainable solution you have to reduce the numbers in the first place. The only way to do that is by killing them (in some way.) Arguably by allowing people to pay for the experience you build up funds to better manage the ecology. There are some parks in Africa that have managed to stop entire species from dying out by using this model.

pseudoname · 29/07/2009 09:30

If they are such a danger to the Eco-system then organised hunting tours is not an efficient way of cutting their numbers, is it?

Hang on. Silly me. This is about making moneeee it isn't about the environment!

I think Australia is the only place where truly Wild Camels still exist.

pointydog · 29/07/2009 09:36

Yes, safaris would be mor elike fox hunting. A huge to-do and at the end of a day you;ve only killed a coupla camel.

Hiw good are camels at running and hiding?

SoupDragon · 29/07/2009 09:39

Sadly, this is what happens when an animal is introduced to a country where it does not belong (think mink, grey squirrels...) A cull is definitely required and is inevitable. Regular culls will be required if the numbers are to be kept to a manageable level.

Another Australian problem is the Cane Toad. Introduced to deal with cane beetles, the toads were spectacularly crap at it and went on to invade and conquer the wilderness, eradicating at least one native species of small marsupial in the process. They're not as cute as a camel though, so advice is to kill the ugly buggers (beating them to death with a golf club was, allegedly, the advice of the government). I don't think anyone is outraged at the cull of them (although alternative, more humane, methods of killing were put forward).

A cull is unpalatable but sadly necessary. I hope they find a better solution than safaris.

Original poster
Tortington · 29/07/2009 09:39

exactly

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 29/07/2009 09:40

I'm not convinced there are many places to hide a camel on the plains of Australia.

pointydog · 29/07/2009 09:42

There you go then. If the camels can't hide, then you haven't got much stalking and so you couldn't really have a shooting safari even if some rednecks wanted it.

Callisto · 29/07/2009 09:47

The Australian bush is an incredibly sensitive and fragile ecosystem. It is currently under threat from camels, cane toads, rabbits and feral cats. To me (as a greeny tree-hugger) it is very important to protect the bush over a species that is not indigenous and therefore very destructive. Australia is struggling with a terrible drought and the indigenous species are having to compete with much more successful animals like camels and rabbits. Unfortunately a cull is the only feasible way to control these animals.

TheBlackStuff · 29/07/2009 13:38

That would be a very good comment to add to that story.

Morloth · 29/07/2009 18:19

Happens every few years I think. We do brumby shoots as well. I have never been shooting from a helicopter, but we used to go pig and rabbit shooting from the back of a truck when I was younger. The wild pigs will attack and eat sheep if allowed to get too numerous and wild.

I think many Australians are a lot colder towards animals than many Brits. I know I am.

The damage is done, the feral animals are there, the only way to control the numbers is to cull them. What would you like done with several thousand feral camels? The best thing for the bush would be for them all to be killed, but that isn't possible.

junglist1 · 29/07/2009 20:52

Culling? Stupid word. It's KILLING that's what and I'm pissed off now. How are they going to murder them something quick I hope or are they going to enjoy battering them to death

Morloth · 29/07/2009 21:13

See I see selling camel safaris as "2 birds 1 stone".

Unless you have been there, stood in the heat & seen native animals dead in their thousands because of the havoc wreaked on the land surrounding waterholes by hoofed animals I would say you have no idea what you are talking about.

The camels are a pest that should be killed. If someone can make some cash doing it then all the better. Might even be a market for camel meat/products.

edam · 29/07/2009 21:33

Someone should remind the people planning to spend £££££££ on hunting the poor buggers of the parable of the rich man and the eye of the needle...

edam · 29/07/2009 21:36

and tbh environmentally it would make far MORE sense if we took out the hunters, too. Make it a 'pay £££££ to hunt camels' thingy to attract the thick, cruel and rich, then when they are showing off about how tough they are, gun them down.

After all, it's a bit of a cheek for human beings to start claiming OTHER species are a problem for the planet or the ecosystem. Far better to get rid of us!