The farm is two hours north of Melbourne in hot and dry conditions perfect for camels. Nearly all of its animals are sourced from the Outback and brought to the farm, which houses 450 camels overall.
Camels were first introduced into Australia from the Canary Islands in 1840. There are now over one million feral camels in Australia and that population may double in size every nine years. Feral camels are found across Central Australia and in the Victoria River District regions.
The first camel was imported into Australia was purchased by the explorer J.A. Horrocks who unfortunately died after being kicked. The second lot were imported by the Victorian Government for the tragic Burke and Wills expedition.
Australia's wild camels produce some of the most superior milk on the planet. Their milk is so prized, it's been called white gold.
Australia has about 1 million wild camels, one of the largest national herds of dromedaries in the world. But numbers are growing faster than the industry can handle. Each year, about 5,000 camels are used for human consumption and pet food, and a few hundred are exported. About 1,300 are part of milking herds.
Saudis traditionally import camels from North Africa, but a combination of disease, drought and political instability has made Australia a better supplier over the years. Why Australia? Because the continent has the largest population of camels left in the world.
Similar to Victoria, South Australian game animals ? essentially just quail and duck species ? are allowable targets for hunting during open season only. However, many introduced species can be hunted freely all year round, including deer, camels, and blackbirds.
They are of the Dromedary (one–hump) species. The Central Australian Camel Industry Association (CACIA) is the only organisation in Australia currently slaughtering and selling camel meat.
Australia's wild Camels have the best disease-free genetics in the world – their milk, meat and hide are highly sought after. At Summer Land Camels, most of our Camels were feral animals and have been brought in from the Australian Outback.
Australias largest wild camel training centre and dairy operation. Located within the beautiful Scenic Rim of South East Queensland, Summer Land Camel Farm is just a 45 minute drive from Brisbane's Central Business District and 80 minutes from the Gold Coast.
Even though it can be difficult to estimate the total number of camels living in a single country, it is widely believed that Somalia has more camels than any other country on Earth. It has been estimated that Somalia has approximately six million camels living within its borders.
It can be a potential alternative red meat for human consumption worldwide. Camel meat is nutritionally as good as any conventional meat source, in fact has an edge over beef or lamb due to its low intramuscular fat, low cholesterol content, and high iron content.
The cameleers provided a thriving camel transportation business which became the backbone of the Australian outback economy. For 60 years, the settlement and development of inland areas of Australia were dependent on these first Afghan migrants.
They imported camels from the 1840's to the early…” Friday Fact! Australia has a larger population of camels than Egypt.
The total price of the hunt will depend on how many days you will spend at the outfitters (the daily rate in Australia is about $400-$500 a hunter a day), whether you want to take along a non-hunting partner, and whether you would like to hunt any other of the species offered by the outfitter.
At its best, camel meat tastes much like lean beef. But certain cuts can be tough, and if the meat comes from an old camel, it can also taste gamey. Hashi had used a shoulder cut, and neither he nor his customers were happy with the results.
Camels are raised for milk, meat, fibre (wool and hair), transport and other work; their dung is used as fuel. Milk is often the most important camel product and is the staple food of nomads.
At present Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, USA, Canada, Europe, East Africa & Asia are currently importing camel meat directly from Australia.
Australia has seven camel dairies producing meat, milk, cheese and skincare products.
Consumption By Country
The country with the largest volume of camel meat consumption was Saudi Arabia (113K tonnes), comprising approx. 61% of total volume. Moreover, camel meat consumption in Saudi Arabia exceeded the figures recorded by the second-largest consumer, the United Arab Emirates (35K tonnes), threefold.
Camel meat is mainly eaten in certain regions, including Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and other arid regions where alternative forms of protein may be limited or where camel meat has had a long cultural history.
Per person consumption
When compared with its major export partners, Australia's meat consumption closely matches the United States (Figure 2). In both countries poultry is the most consumed meat at over 40 kg per person. Beef and veal and pig meat each account for between 20 and 30 kg per person.
By 2008, it was [incorrectly] feared that Central Australia's feral camel population had grown to roughly one million animals, and was projected to double every 8 to 10 years. Camels are known to cause serious degradation of local environmental and cultural sites, particularly during dry conditions.
No known predators, although dingoes or wild dogs may take young camels.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 237 camels and camelids were exported from Australia in 2016 via air, worth $256,000. A total of 1,140 have been flown out since 2014, and 2,519 via sea, however from 2015-2016, no livestock was exported via ship.