Feral Camels Of Australia Poem by Chris Lane

Towards water reserved for humans
Feral Camels follow their instinct
As summer approaches, the drought worsens

Unlike their ancestors before them
These beasts have never been burdened
By the utterances of Afghans

Unhindered in their roaming
To a great multitude their herd has swollen
In the great Outback

And to this sensitive environment
Camels are Eco-alien
And apart from humans - lack a natural predator.


Having gone walkabout in an all-out drought
Towards water reserved for humans
Sadly the camels arrival is seen as most unwelcome

© Calac

Camels in Australia are the only feral herds of their kind in the world and are estimated to number more than 1,000,000 with the capability of doubling in size every nine years. The Australian camels are descendants of camels imported into Australia, beginning in the mid-1800s, to help lay the foundations of the nation
the camels were often guided and cared for by Muslim cameleers known as 'Afghans'.