Dirt Camels
Roadside Attraction
This is a weird one.
Meet the dirt camels of Alice Springs. There was a plaque but unfortunately it had blistered away in the sun and was unreadable. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say it was a tribute to camels and the contribution they played to exploring Aus and the invaluable resource they were.... until the railways were built.
Today, however they're a pest!
I did a camel tour while in Uluru and it was explained that unlike most animals who eat the local vegetation, 'which travels' (gets pooped out) and regenerates in new areas through the manure. A camel however with eat, chew, swallow, regurgitate and chew some more until there's nothing left of the seed.
Nothing gets pooped out.
The seeds don't travel.
The emu use to be abundant in and around Uluru but their favorite food had been eaten by the camels and as the seeds don't pass and regenerate the plant is almost non existent in that area now.
Conservation workers are having to re-plant the vegetation in hopes the emu will return and attempting to cut the camel population down to prevent the vegetation from being destroyed before any progress is made.
Camels also do a lot of damage to the ecosystem by draining the water supply. The camel can consume and hold a great deal of water. Their excessive consumption impacts the vegetation in the outback immensely. The outback is already such a dry area when it does rain the camels, since they're quite over populated, collectively consume much needed water local vegetation needs to survive.
📍 18 George Cres, Ciccone
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