Reducing feral camel impacts across remote Australia:

Australian Feral Camel Management Project

21st November 2013, Parliament House Theatre, Canberra

Session Three: Achievements and Outcomes Speakers: Mark Lethbridge, Ecoknowledge Jayne Brim Box, Northern Territory Government Sam Rando, Central Land Council Karl Hampton, Ninti One Lyndee Severin, Curtin Springs Station Jan Ferguson, Ninti One

Pastoralist views on feral camel impacts and management Lyndee Severin

Curtin Springs Station is located on the Lasseter Highway in the Northern Territory

100km east of Ayers Rock

• 1,028,960 acres, approx

• 40km x 100km.

• Running

– 3500 – 4000 head of cattle.

2008 feral camel densities

Summer 2007/2008

Damaged mulga trees on Curtin Springs 28th February 2007.

These Mulga trees have all been mown off at grazing height.

Summer 2007/2008

Pastoral industry in 2008 • wanted “immediate action rather than

more talking about, planning to deal with, and monitoring of the problem”.

• Camels were coming onto pastoral land in large numbers, from non-pastoral land

• We knew there were lots of camels, there was little benefit to be gained by trying to count them – again…

Opportunistic Commercial Use • Camels CAN be trained to use the

water traps, like cattle, but they must first be caught and trained

• Not every animal is saleable • The cost of putting feral camels into a

yard is more than the payment for them

Options for ‘control’ on the ground • Exclusion fencing • 3 strands of 3.8

tonne breaking strain cable.

• 2 heights of mesh1.7km

• $42,000

Options for ‘control’ on the ground

Control ‘options’

• Ground culling – Part of everyday

activities – Effective ongoing

control – Requires staff

training and weapons

• Aerial culling – Expensive for

individuals – Requires coordinated

approach – Effective for big hits

in a short timeframe

Emergency cull

2013 Emergency cull

Emergency cull

Emergency cull

2013 Pastoral Survey

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Competition with livestock for feed and water

Fence damage

Waterpoint infrastructure damage

Water fouling

Spreading of weeds

Loss of biodiversity

Road safety

Other (please specify)

Feral camel impacts 2009-13 • 7 million ha under management

• Impacts of $20k, up t0 $60k in 2010/11

• Aerial and ground control

Car vs Camel

Fouling water

Flow on effects of ground or aerial culling

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