Feral camels invade WA coastal crops in a strange appearance signalling a dry Nullarbor.
The desert dwellers are rarely seen so far south, and are believed to be migrating away from dry conditions in the Nullarbor and Goldfields, in search of food and water.
Have you seen any Camels on your trip across the Nullarbor ???
K.J.
Peter_n_Margaret said
01:22 PM Aug 27, 2018
Camels don't normally live in the Nullarbor proper in significant numbers - they are much more prevalent in the Great Victoria Desert (see the distribution map in the article) and there were record rains there in the early part of this year, so there is something else at play here I suspect.
Margaret and I will be in the GVD a week from now, assisting with a study that includes damage done by camels to the Quandong tree population.
Cheers,
Peter
kiwijims said
02:24 PM Aug 27, 2018
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Camels don't normally live in the Nullarbor proper in significant numbers - they are much more prevalent in the Great Victoria Desert (see the distribution map in the article) and there were record rains there in the early part of this year, so there is something else at play here I suspect. Margaret and I will be in the GVD a week from now, assisting with a study that includes damage done by camels to the Quandong tree population. Cheers, Peter
It will be interesting to read you're report on what you find when you reach the GVD Peter,
If there was record rains there earlier this year, what is driving all these Camels South ???
K.J.
Mobi Condo said
11:34 AM Aug 28, 2018
We were in Newman's Rocks area not far from Balladonia and Fraser Range in late winter 2007, then camped there in June 2015 and then passing by in September 2015.
On each occasion there were camels present and the last time we experienced a herd of at least 20 crossing the Eyre Highway just 10 or so k out of Balladonia Road House.
We just thought that was not unusual, but by the looks of the news article it must have been.
LLD said
01:26 PM Aug 28, 2018
Just back from going from Port Augusta - Katherine - Broome - Jurien Bay - Kalgoorlie - Port Augusta. Never saw a camel other than on Cable Back. Not even a lot of roos - road-kill or otherwise. One stretch of about 40kms one day we saw a lot of fresh, small roos that were probably hit during the previous night. Plenty of Emus in paddocks. No emu, no pig, no goat, no sheep road-kill at all. Road-kill was mainly cattle. In fact we (3 couples in vans) all commented about the lack of roadkill or even signs of.
Delta18 said
10:33 AM Aug 29, 2018
We have crossed the Nullarbor in car and later years car & caravan in excess of 35 times since my first trip to WA over 40 years ago.
In all these crossings, some at night, most in daylight (1st time there was 500km dirt from Penong to the border) and in all seasons we have never seen a camel in the wild.
One station, possibly Nullarbor Roadhouse had some confined but that was it.
We went across in January this year and going again in December.
We know all the roos by name now lol.
Aus-Kiwi said
12:08 PM Aug 29, 2018
To think two years ago near the whole of Aust was GREEN .. Even out in red centre . The water level was very high . Dig 12â-300mm and you hit water ..
woolman said
08:18 AM Aug 30, 2018
There was a dead camel just out of Ballidonia in August last year. That was a great surprise to me. Had to have another look on the dash cam to confirm though.
Feral camels invade WA coastal crops in a strange appearance signalling a dry Nullarbor.
The desert dwellers are rarely seen so far south, and are believed to be migrating away from dry conditions in the Nullarbor and Goldfields, in search of food and water.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-27/feral-camels-in-wa-coastal-farmlands-signal-a-dry-nullarbor/10166644
Have you seen any Camels on your trip across the Nullarbor ???
K.J.
Margaret and I will be in the GVD a week from now, assisting with a study that includes damage done by camels to the Quandong tree population.
Cheers,
Peter
It will be interesting to read you're report on what you find when you reach the GVD Peter,
If there was record rains there earlier this year, what is driving all these Camels South ???
K.J.
On each occasion there were camels present and the last time we experienced a herd of at least 20 crossing the Eyre Highway just 10 or so k out of Balladonia Road House.
We just thought that was not unusual, but by the looks of the news article it must have been.
We have crossed the Nullarbor in car and later years car & caravan in excess of 35 times since my first trip to WA over 40 years ago.
In all these crossings, some at night, most in daylight (1st time there was 500km dirt from Penong to the border) and in all seasons we have never seen a camel in the wild.
One station, possibly Nullarbor Roadhouse had some confined but that was it.
We went across in January this year and going again in December.
We know all the roos by name now lol.
There was a dead camel just out of Ballidonia in August last year. That was a great surprise to me. Had to have another look on the dash cam to confirm though.
Neil