Wild Camels Run Amok in Australia's Outback
Hanging out before the annual Camel Cup in Alice Springs, in Central Australia.
Hundreds of thousands of feral camels roam Australia's outback. There are 700,000 at the latest count, doubling every 10 years.
They are shiftless descendants of the hard-working dromedaries brought over in the 19th century, before roads and railroads.
When their services were no longer required, they were let go into the desert, where they have thrived.
Now, these animals are raced for fun, slaughtered for their meat and thinned by hunters to rid the country of their vast numbers.
Related NPR Stories
Comments
You must be signed in to leave a comment. Sign In / Register
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use, and will be moderated prior to posting. NPR reserves the right to use the comments we receive, in whole or in part, and to use the commenter's name and location, in any medium. See also the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Community FAQ.
