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NINTI ONE PROJECTS
AUSTRALIAN FERAL CAMEL
MANAGEMENT PROJECT
The four and a half year Australian Feral
Camel Management Project (AFCMP) was
successfully completed on 31 December
2013. This project was a partnership of 20
organisations, including the Australian Camel
Industry Association and the RSPCA. The
recovery of damaged environmental assets
and the reduced infrastructure damage were
tangible outcomes of the project along with
the creation of new monitoring techniques
for assessing the impacts of feral camels on
remote Australia.
The project operated across the feral camel
range of over 1.3 million square kilometres
and involved hundreds of landholders
across all land tenures, including Aboriginal
lands, pastoral properties, public and
private conservation areas and Crown land.
Over 300 Aboriginal rangers and other
community members have been trained in
monitoring feral camel signs (tracks, dung)
and impacts to vegetation and waterbodies;
these skills will be applicable for broader
land management activities. 162 000 feral
camels were removed form the landscape.
The full outcomes of the project have
been made public through the final project
report, scientific journal publications and
short films describing the project process
and outcomes. All results and outcomes of
the project were presented at the event in
Canberra that was attended by all partners
and other stakeholders.
The enduring benefit of the project is a
new model for engaging multiple partners
in landscape feral animal control, a greater
understanding of the impact of feral camels
and their population dynamics and a more
refined method of coordinated control.
PHOTO: ROBERT SLEEP