Many people mistakenly believe the world\u2019s largest camel population\nis in the Middle East. In fact, Australia, known as the Land of the\nKangaroo, has the largest wild dromedary, or Arabian camel, population\nin the world. The exact number is difficult to determine because the\nanimals are spread across vast desert areas.<\/p>\n
According to Space Daily, some estimates put the population at around\none million in 2010. Population control programmes subsequently reduced\nthat number, but current estimates still range from hundreds of\nthousands to one million.<\/p>\n
The presence of camels in Australia began in the 19th century when\ncolonists brought the mammals to help transport goods across inland\nareas that were difficult for horses to traverse. Camels were used to\ncarry various supplies, including provisions, telegraph equipment, and\nmaterials for railway construction. Handlers from areas that are now\nPakistan and Afghanistan also played a role in developing the use of\ncamels in Australia\u2019s interior.<\/p>\n
However, the development of motor vehicles eventually made the role\nof camels as a means of transport increasingly unnecessary. Some animals\nwere then released into the wild because the cost of keeping them was no\nlonger considered worth the benefit.<\/p>\n
The environment of central Australia proved highly suitable for\ncamels. The lack of predators, availability of vegetation, and ability\nto breed quickly allowed the population to grow rapidly.<\/p>\n
For land managers, that growth has become a problem. Wild camels can\ndamage fences, disturb water sources, and consume most of the plant\nspecies available in their habitat.<\/p>\n
Australian camels are marketed in limited numbers for breeding,\ntraining, and farming purposes. However, this trade is still far from a\nlarge-scale industry.<\/p>\n
Cost is one of the main obstacles. Gathering wild camels from the\ninterior, transporting them to processing facilities or ports, health\nchecks, and preparation for export make the cost per animal high.<\/p>\n
Some trade is directed to countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia,\nwhile other products such as camel meat and milk are also beginning to\nattract attention.<\/p>\n
The camel milk sector even commands a premium selling price. However,\ncamel farming ventures in Australia still face economic challenges and\nin some cases require additional income from tourism or accommodation to\nsupport operations.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/worlds-largest-camel-population-turns-out-to-be-near-indonesia-1787043271", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }