Thousands of feral camels to be killed in drought-stricken north-west Australia: Report

SYDNEY: About 10,000 camels are at risk of being shot and killed in a drought-ravaged region of Australia, after complaints that the thirsty animals are endangering locals as they desperately search for water. This comes amid reports claiming that more than 1 billion animals have been killed in wildfires that have ravaged Australia since September.

According to CNN.com, aboriginal officials in the remote northwest of South Australia have approved the killing of nearly 10,000 feral camels, which is due to begin from Wednesday and is expected to last for five days.

The area's local government, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY), said in a memo posted on Facebook that "extremely large groups of camels and other feral animals in and around communities" are "putting pressure on the remote Aboriginal communities" as they search for water.

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"With the current ongoing dry conditions the large camel congregations threatening the APY communities and infrastructure, camel control is needed," the note added.

The culling will involve professional shooters, said reports.

Like most of the country, South Australia has been sweltering under extremely high temperatures for weeks.

Though not as badly hit as neighboring New South Wales, the state has suffered from the bushfires tearing through the country, blanketing cities in smoke and decimating native wildlife populations.

Marita Baker, an APY board member, was quoted as saying by The Australian newspaper that her community had been inundated by the creatures as they hunt for water.

"We have been stuck in stinking hot and uncomfortable conditions, feeling unwell, because the camels are coming in and knocking down fences, getting in around the houses and trying to get to water through air conditioners,'' she said.

The APY region is in an extremely remote area of South Australia and is sparsely populated. Only about 2,300 people live in the region, which is roughly the size of the US state of Kentucky.

There are believed to be more than 1 million camels in Australia and the country's camel population is growing rapidly.

Millions of animals are dying from the Australian fires, and the environment will suffer for years to come

Camels are far from the only species suffering in heat waves and wildfires.

Wild fires are nothing new in Australia, but they have been growing more intense and becoming more destructive in recent years, a problem that has been exacerbated by climate change. And animals have been on the front lines as Australia has the highest rate of species loss of any area in the world, and researchers fear that rate could increase as the fire disaster continues.