How Do Australian Farmers Control Millions Of Invasive Animals - Farming Documentary

Hello my friends. In addition to the negative impacts caused by 287 million feral rabbits. In recent years, Australia's natural landscape and agriculture have also been significantly affected by other invasive species such as feral goats, wild boars, feral camels or European red foxes. Most invasive species were brought to Australia in the 17th and 18th centuries by European explorers and settlers. At that time, these animals were brought to Australia for the purpose of recreational hunting and providing milk and meat. Over time, animals that escaped or were intentionally released into the wild have bred and formed invasive species populations on Australian territory. Similar to how invasive species are controlled in the United States. The Australian government also allows people to hunt and trap some invasive species in large numbers. In addition, economically valuable invasive species will be collected and sold by farmers to muster for lost production costs. The first goats were brought to Australia by British workers and miners in 1788 as pets and food. After many years, goats that escaped or were released into the wild established wild goat populations. Today, there are about 2.3 million wild goats living in Australia. They are distributed mainly in semi-arid or hilly areas such as western New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland. Like the white-tailed deer in the United States, the wild goats in Australia are also quite cute. However, a wild goat population of more than 2 million can cause major damage to Australia's agriculture and environment. In states such as Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, herds of wild goats cause significant environmental damage by competing for food, water and shelter with native wildlife and livestock. In addition, herds of wild goats also have a negative impact on Australian agriculture by overgrazing on pastures, damaging crops and reducing farmers' profits. It is estimated that wild goats cost Australia's agriculture around $25 million each year, not counting their impact on the environment or degradation of grasslands. In addition, wild goats are also considered to be the main cause of foot and mouth disease in cattle herds in Australia. Today, the commercial exploitation of wild goats in Australia is an industry worth around $29 million. Many Australian herders consider catching and selling wild goats an essential part of their business. This also helps them to minimize the economic damage caused by millions of wild goats. Cattle ranchers and farmers in Australia often use motorbikes, horses, and helicopters to muster hundreds of wild goats before selling them to goat meat processing plants. On average, each adult male wild goat in Australia typically weighs about 132 pounds and an adult female goat usually weighs about 97 pounds. The average price farmers get for selling a wild goat is about $13.7. In addition, hunting and trapping are also used to control wild goat populations in Australia. Each year, about 39% of the wild goat population in Australia is exterminated by a variety of methods. If left unchecked, the number of wild goats in this country will double every 1.6 years. In addition to wild goats, wild camels are also a problem for Australia's natural landscape and agriculture. It is estimated that in 2022, there are about 1.3 million wild camels living in Australia. They are present in 53% of Australia's grassland ecosystems, including most of the arid regions of Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland. In the 1840s, the first camels were brought to Australia by the British to aid in their exploration of the remote and inhospitable parts of the continent. Until 1907, the number of camels in Australia was only about 21,000 and at this time, they were not considered a problem. However, with the advent of motorized transportation in the 1920s, camel travel was gradually phased out and as a result, all domestic camels were released into the wild. Although camels do not have the ability to reproduce as quickly as rabbits, they are well adapted to remote lands and without natural predators. As a result, the number of wild camels in Australia has increased very rapidly. It is estimated that in the early 2000s, the population of wild camels in Australia peaked at around 3.1 million. However, when control methods such as hunting, trapping, and mustering were applied, the number of these animals was reduced by more than half. In Australia, wild camels have caused particular problems for people living in the areas where they are most common. They can destroy fences and quickly completely destroy an area of vegetation by trampling and grazing. They can also deplete small reservoirs of water in arid areas. In addition, wild camels behave aggressively towards sheep and livestock, sometimes refusing to feed or drink the animals. It is estimated that the economic loss caused by wild camels to Australia is about 17 million dollars per year. Of course, this reported figure is likely to be much lower than what millions of feral camels cause across mainland Australia. Currently, the most common methods of controlling feral camel populations in Australia are aerial hunting by helicopter, mustering wild camels, and then butchering them. In addition, most governments in the Australian states allow people to hunt wild camels in unlimited numbers. It is estimated that every year around 103,000 wild camels are culled in Australia. In addition, between 9,000 and 13,000 wild camels die each year due to old age or other problems such as lack of food or harsh climate. Each year, measures to control wild camel populations cost the Australian government about $19 million. If population control measures are not taken, the number of wild camels in Australia will double in seven to nine years. To this day, millions of wild goats and wild camels remain a problem for the Australian government and farmers. In fact, population control measures such as hunting or mustering are the best and most humane way to check their numbers in order to protect the interests of both local communities, farmers and other communities native species.