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Australia's earliest pioneers and explorers were horsemen.
However 70% of Australia is desert or semi-desert, and horses
were limited in this area because of a shortage of water
and lack of suitable horse feed. Camels were introduced
because they can thrive on Australia's desert flora and
fauna, not only getting enough nutrition, but also enough
water. This self-sufficiency gave them much greater range
and loading capacity.
When camels were imported, they also brought their Afghan
handlers who were skilled in camel management and camel
transport. The camels were used for exploration by Giles
and other explorers, but their main task was carrying bulk
supplies to Outback towns like Alice Springs, mining communities
& pastoral stations.
In 1907, there was an outbreak of foot & mouth disease
in India which stopped camel imports. There was still a
demand in Australia for camels, so the Governments in S.A
& W.A established camel depots where they bred &
trained camels. Private breeders like Thomas Elder also
supplied camels and approximately 20,000 were working at
their peak.
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The
advent of road and rail transport saw camels abandoned and
their numbers grow in the wild.
Because they impact on the food chain of native animals
and some plant species, camels are today classified as feral
or noxious animals.
There is a concerted effort in the Northern Territory to
establish a camel industry to process camels for meat &
by-products, & a live camel export trade.
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