There were no camels in Australia in the mid-1800s when they were taken there to help settlers transport goods. Camels carried mail across Australia's deserts until the late 1920s.
Certainly a fascinating and largely ignored slice of history in the opening up of the north of South Australia.!
Only recently 'feral' camels were being rounded up and sold to the "Middle East" due to their strong and pure bloodlines.!!
Quote from: 'Goose' pid='43585' dateline='1394480228'There were no camels in Australia in the mid-1800s when they were taken there to help settlers transport goods.
Undoubtedly one of the very few beneficial species introductions we've had. Same can't be said for ecological disasters like cane toads and rabbits though. :(
There are more feral camels in Australia than in any other country.
I don't think I'd say "beneficial" as they are as Nevol said, "feral" so unless you meant that it's one of the pests that we can make money out of I disagree sorry as it wasn't long ago I seen a doco and they reckon they do a lot of damage and not to mention the stock feed that they are eating :( Yes they done a lot with them but was it worth it if they're destroying everything ;)
Quote from: 'ausjack' pid='43596' dateline='1394517621'...they're destroying everything ;)
Lets see...
Camels provide transport, milk, meat and skins. They don't have cloven feet, nor destroy forage. They are zero-maintenance, surviving on land that nothing else will.
The issue is management. We don't domesticate them, nor do we properly utilise them either. When 160,000 of the 700,000-strong population was culled at the request of sheep farmers, less than 10% of the carcasses were recovered. Culling costs around $25 a head, so that would have been a lot of cheap eats that didn't need to be wasted.
We've got this cattle/sheep mentality for some reason. It prevents us from utilising animals best suited to this country. How often do you see kangaroo on the menu, for example?
Calm down, calm down. I'm not eatin camel..hold on, yes I will as I'd eat anything but you have to bring it to me and I'll give ya that $25 a head, dead of course :laugh2:
Does it matter how long dead?
:laughingneqw: :laughingneqw: :laughingneqw:
Quote from: 'JeffH' pid='43616' dateline='1394528550'Does it matter how long dead?
Nope. You do know they sell packets of camel jerky, right? Not bad stuff either... :)
Quote from: 'ausjack' pid='43615' dateline='1394528396'Calm down, calm down. I'm not eatin camel..hold on, yes I will as I'd eat anything but you have to bring it to me and I'll give ya that $25 a head, dead of course :laugh2:
Camel is delicious.
Australia export camels to arabia
Quote from: 'nealeffendi' pid='43659' dateline='1394603201'Camel is delicious.
Yeah, but like with roo
(or venison, boar or anything else that isn't cow or sheep), you gotta cook it properly. Can't just toss a slab on the barbie and ignore it while you down a few tinnies... :dodgy: