Saturday, August 08, 2009

Camelcide?



This belongs in the Learn Something New Every Day files...

Australia To Cull Outback Camels

I've always associated camels with the Middle East and didn't even know that Australia has over a million free-range camels which are threatening the ecological balance of the Outback.

I think everyone agrees the camels have to go, but the methods are in dispute.


[The BLOG note: The awesome photo used for illustrative purposes comes from the National Geographic site. The dark camels you see are really camel shadows. The real camels are the lighter areas below the camel shadows. Click on the photo and see for yourself.]

16 comments:

DaBlade said...

I love that picture! As for the camelcide... I can visualize Sarah Palin hanging out a helicopter door with an uzi. I wonder if camel steak tastes like chicken.

cube said...

It is a great picture. Funny that one of the methods of culling the camel herd is air raids. I think that would ruin the meat. I'd much prefer the helicopter hunts and the use of the meat.

I hear it is low fat and with a strong beefy flavor... definitely not like chicken.

Anonymous said...

The photo rocks. But DaBlade, if Sarah Palin were to participate in that helo camel shoot, the liberals would liken it to a camel holocaust or a Camelcaust. Too dicey for her.

lee

crazy4coens said...

Wow! I had no idea that there are camels in the outback. Why haven't they incorporated that into LOST>

Anyway - thanks for the eduaction!

cube said...

Lee: Palin can't sneeze without bringing about adverse media coverage. I think she should just live her life however she wants because the left is going to condemn her no matter what she does. She might as well have fun.

cube said...

Crazy4coens: You live, you learn. I love that about life. It happens to me all the time :-)

Ananda girl said...

That has to be one of the coolest photos ever and what a great illusion it inspires from our eyes and brain.

Can we adopt some of those camels? Isn't there somewhere in the US where we need a bunch of them? What about the Mojave? Death Valley?

Unlike monkeys,camel like me. Haven't been spit on yet and have ridden two.

Ananda girl said...

You know on the dashboard it looked like a photo of ANTS... and I was frizzed for a moment. haha

cube said...

Ananda Girl: I think there are more creative ways to deal with the camel overpopulation.

Why don't they round a bunch of them up and have a camel beauty pageant for Saudi Arabia. I'm sure they would pay big bucks for that.

I rode a camel at the Bronx Zoo when I was a kid and the camel didn't spit on me either. I guess we must be camel charmers ;-)

Always On Watch said...

The American Southwest had a similar problem with camels back in the 1800s, when camels were imported here for use in the American Desert.

cube said...

Always On Watch: I didn't know. Do you happen to know what happened to our camels?

cube said...

Always On Watch: Stupid question. Probably went the way of the buffalo.

Caz said...

We're a feral ridden country, and camels are the least of it.

Allegedly we have an estimated 23 million feral pigs running around out there, which is more pigs than people (mind you, we have more sheep and cows than people, by a long shot).

If you'd all like to take some off our hands, we have a selection, feel free to collect at any time:

Cane toad (Bufo marinus)
European wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
European red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Feral camel (Camelus dromedarius)
Feral cat (Felis catus)
Feral goat (Capra hircus)
Feral horse (Equus caballus) and Feral donkey (Equus asinus)
Feral pig (Sus scrofa)
Feral water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

Good thing we're a big, big country, otherwise it would feel mighty crowded.

cube said...

Caz: Yikes, it is a good thing Australia is a big country.

AussieDan said...

I cant believe some people are calling this "genocide" and getting all up in arms about it. One blogger on another site said "instead of spending $49,000 to cull the camels why not build a $49,000 watering hole for them." In Australia a $49,000 watering hole would be the size of a bathtub. There is just no water to go around. We are all on water restrictions. The feral camels, which Australia has around 1,000,000, have been trampling each other to death and threaten to ruin the water supply in that area due to disease. People who don't know should keep their opinions to themselves or educate themselves

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