Culling Camels

[Rhaenys]

It all started out with this article: Thousands of camels culled in the Northern Territory - Australian GeographicThere was a whole bunch of people commenting about how cruel it was and how it was a "Damn disgrace".. I decided to jump right on in there with this:

Just to clear some stuff up - that article for one is ridiculously biased. These Camels are wild animals, meaning they've probably never had any human contact before. Could you imagine the stress it would cause them to be 'humanely' wrangled, tossed onto a big truck, shipped off to an abattoir and forced down a raceway to their 'humane' death, all the while being able to smell the blood and hear the distress of the camels in front of them? And who is he to say that they were wasted? Their carcasses are being returned to the Australian environment. Those carcasses would serve as food for so many animals! I think he's just cranky cause he didn't make any profit out of exploiting them. Australia has the worst extinction record on the planet because of introduced species. While it is sad that these animals have to be killed through no fault of their own, people should understand that it's got to be done to preserve what we've got left.

Then I got called an names for supporting animal cruelty
Since then the discussion has died down - but I'm still fired up. What are your views on this



This one was a doozy

I agree with the station owner, it's cruel! If it was whales or dogs and cats there would be an uproar!

 

[viciousred]

I think its necessary. Its unfortunate that they have to be killed, but its the way it is, we introduced them, and now we have to clean up the mess.
And I agree, Being caught and shipped off to be slaughtered would cause an awful lot of stress, and if a few don't die instantly, its still better than all of them being completely terrified for hours and hours before they get killed. Not to mention the man power it would require to round them all up!
In the end you have to weigh up the situation, cull one species, or loose a hundred...?

 

[marcmarc]

I'm with you on this one.

 

[mattyg]

unfortunate but necessary.

 

[snakeynewbie]

Now that would be a good size leg roast

 

[Ambush]

Don't like it.But has to be done. Indian Mynah is an example of the destruction of our native animals. Has to be removed.

 

[snakeynewbie]

I love that last comment you put in, obviously that person has no clue that feral dogs and cats ARE killed :lol:

 

[hugsta]

Interesting reference to whales and cats and dogs and there being an uproar. I mean, if it were feral goats, rabbits and foxes people wouldn't care as much either as they are feral animals. No different to camels.

 

[-Katana-]

A man made problem that requires a man made solution.

 

[Rhaenys]

I love that last comment you put in, obviously that person has no clue that feral dogs and cats ARE killed :lol:

Hahah it was the first comment posted and it had a couple of likes on it as well!!
I couldn't believe it xD biggest facepalm on earth.

A lady said that all life is sacred and that there's other ways... but really? I'd like to see someone actually come up with an alternative rather than just blast the people who are trying to control them now.


We have a lot of issues here at the uni with people studying Equine and the whole topic of culling the brumbies. There was a petition sent around by a few people to stop it - but like Akwendi said it's a man made problem and it needs to be fixed. That along with culling bats because of Hendra virus, now that's a whole new topic in itself. Very controversial!

 

[hugsta]

A man made problem that requires a man made solution.

Too true, so to solve the problem, shoot the whingers and grizzlers and then shoot the camels. No one will complain at all then.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

God some people don't understand the devastation wrecked by introduced animals on the country. I believe the main problem with culling wild horses was that when it was attempted in Guy Fawkes NP in NSW, there was an uproar that the animals were believed to be direct descendants of culturally important horses that were used to fight in war times. DNA eventually proved they weren't but not before the RSPCA got the government to say that no horse in NSW would be legally shot again. This turned around in the end because the main method of euthanasia for horses used to be a shot to the head.

 

[snakeynewbie]

Its simple isnt it, if all life is sacred the other way is that you ask the camels politely to stop destroying our ecosystems. They'll do that right?

 

[Rhaenys]

God some people don't understand the devastation wrecked by introduced animals on the country. I believe the main problem with culling wild horses was that when it was attempted in Guy Fawkes NP in NSW, there was an uproar that the animals were believed to be direct descendants of culturally important horses that were used to fight in war times. DNA eventually proved they weren't but not before the RSPCA got the government to say that no horse in NSW would be legally shot again. This turned around in the end because the main method of euthanasia for horses used to be a shot to the head.

How is that even grounds to not shoot them in the first place? I'm sure there are more culturally significant things left over from a war than a couple of "maybe descendants" from war horses. The again I couldn't shoot a horse myself :/ ...I support it, but definitely couldn't do it.

Its simple isnt it, if all life is sacred the other way is that you ask the camels politely to stop destroying our ecosystems. They'll do that right?

I wish the cane toads would do that

 

[SteveNT]

Get rid of all the camels. Then the horses.

Maybe our wildlife will have a shot at recovering. Damn cafe late mob will never get their shoes dirty up here seeing what is actually happening. They seem to think these are some sort of fluffy toys that float around looking cute. Get a grip.

A camel can drink 100 litres in a single sitting. In a desert!! What do you think that leaves for the locals? The bigger guys like red roos and emus can travel to a distant water source but not the smaller guys. This is why we have the worst record in the world for medium sized mammal extinctions.

Horses drink a lot too but worst of all when they are dying they like to lie down in water, fouling it for anything else needing to drink there.

Death to the ferals, the whole rotten lot!

 

[BrownHash]

I see it as an unfurtunate necessity. In the long run culling camels will benifit the native animal and plant populations. Those people that don't want these things to happen should foot the environmental bill of having feral animals like the camels wondering around. They should be the ones paying for the conservation efforts in the areas affected.

Also, I see making a profit from the process as benificial. This is because it gives an incentive for its continuation. Nobody is going to want to have tax payers money spent on something that could possible support itself economically. To get people out there culling these animals cost money, why not make it worth while.

Another thing +1 to what SteveNT said.

 

[saximus]

I can't see the comments section (either because I am meant to register or the uni computers just suck) but the commenters just sound like typical "activist" hippies. They have never spent time in the real world and if it were up to them we'd all be living in mud huts eating nuts and berries and being "one with the land". You're never going to change their minds because, like Steve said, you will never get them out there to see what is actually going on

 

[Rhaenys]

I can't see the comments section (either because I am meant to register or the uni computers just suck) but the commenters just sound like typical "activist" hippies. They have never spent time in the real world and if it were up to them we'd all be living in mud huts eating nuts and berries and being "one with the land". You're never going to change their minds because, like Steve said, you will never get them out there to see what is actually going on

Oh it was on a group thing on facebook, someone had shared it xP
YES!! This is the problem with all of these 'animal-loving' people... they never, ever see the big picture.
It makes me so mad. And even after I posted some reason into their grizzling I was shut down!
I study this stuff for a living, this is my life's passion - while they sit back with a cup of tea and tell me I support animal cruelty because I think camels should be culled :evil:

 

[Jeannine]

like it or not culling off all over populated animals, regardless if they are rabbits, foxes, etc is necessary

people dont realise if you dont cull they will run out of food and starve to death anyway, so which is the better option?

same as its necessary to cull roo's or would they rather see animals starving to death?

besides arent some of those camels exported to Arab countries because of their purity?

 

[snakeynewbie]

I beleive so jeannine. But as with brumbied it would come down to which ones are suitable for breaking, if they dont nhave the temperament to be broken and trained they are useless as an export