Australia kills 5,000 camels over environmental concerns

Helicopter shooters killed more than 5,000 wild camels in Australia, in a campaign aimed at eliminating the threat posed by these animals to the local population in the midst of drought.

Local governors in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) aborigine region, northwest of the state of South Australia, have approved the collective culling of the wild camels.

The animals were approaching residential areas, seeking water and food, but authorities called “urgent response to threats”.

2019 has been Australia’s hottest and driest year ever recorded, causing huge fires, which continue to rage for months, but also water scarcity in many areas.

The camel extermination campaign lasted five days and ended on Sunday, said Richard King, head of an indigenous area in the northwestern tip of Western Australia, home to some 2,300 people.

Read more via AFP/Euronews