The Australian Camel Controversy: Shoot & Kill or Else?

Reportedly, Australia is home to over one million camels roaming the vast outback. These incredible animals, originally introduced in the 1840s for transport and exploration, were later released into the wild when vehicles replaced them. Fast-forward to today, and their numbers have become both a logistical and political issue.

But here’s the part that rarely gets told—unless you're hearing it from someone with family roots or lived experience…

The Australian government didn’t just import camels—they also brought skilled handlers from regions like Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan to “open up the outback.” These men, often referred to as the Afghan Cameleers (despite many not being from Afghanistan), were essential in transporting goods across the harsh inland terrain. Their camels carried everything from food and mail to railway sleepers used to build what is now the iconic Ghan Railway.

When their work was done, the government issued them a cruel ultimatum:
Pay taxes on every camel you owned… or shoot them.

Pic: An "Afghan cameleer" sets off with his camel train to the Outback around 1910. Australia is now thought to have the largest wild camel population in the world

These cameleers—already marginalised and banned from camping on the same side of the railway as white Australians—had formed deep emotional bonds with their animals. Faced with two unjust options, many chose instead to release their camels into the wild. And those camels? They not only survived… they thrived.

The Camel Controversy: Cull or Create?

Now, over a century later, we’re seeing history repeat itself—just with a new layer of politics.

The Australian government has allocated millions of dollars toward large-scale camel culling programs, citing environmental damage and resource competition as reasons to shoot camels from helicopters. But this has sparked growing public outcry and division. Because here’s the truth:

We don’t have a camel problem.
We have an industry problem.

Rather than shooting camels en masse, we could be creating sustainable solutions—camel dairies, ethical meat production, eco-tourism, cultural education programs, even carbon-sensitive land management using camel herds, even more awareness how camels make great pets, companion and therapy animals!

But instead, we’re defaulting to eradication over innovation.

What’s at stake isn’t just camel lives—it’s a missed opportunity to honour Australia’s multicultural history, support rural communities, and turn an underutilised resource into something meaningful for both people and animals.

Should we continue the legacy of “shoot or abandon”?
Or is it finally time to invest in camel connection, not camel control?

My mission is to educate people on the magnificence of these amazing animals—More Camels in More People’s Lives!

So, if you're ready to find out whether camels are the right fit for you or you want the complete lowdown on how to keep, care for, train, and manage camels the right way, take a look at my online Academy.

It’s all there—everything I wish I’d known when I first started out, ready and waiting for you.

Let’s build a future where camels are valued, understood, and thriving—alongside the people who love them.