A Scenic Rim dairy is trying to change the perception of camels to be used as ‘pets’ or for ‘weed control’ for rural properties.
Summerland Camels at Harrisville has a number of trained and domesticated camels for sale.
CEO Paul Martin says that they can be a great alternative to using chemicals on farms.
“Having an animal in there like a camel, that certainly loves the aspects of weeds and browsing trees, things like that, so people use them for that.
“So, I suppose pets are another thing but that whole engagement, people haven’t been engaged with camels for a long time and don’t really know what a nice quiet camel can be like,” he says.
The Summerland Camel’s Dairy farmer says that he is selling the camels from his Harrisville property in an effort to manage herd numbers but the idea is to get more people involved.
“Camels were declared feral back in the 1930s and because I think it was bit of drawing the short straw given everything else wasn’t either
“Until we get camel’s back on the livestock register, we can raise money from the government to shoot them but I can’t raise any to do any meat research or milk research,” he says.
(Photo/video: River 949/Summerland Camels.)
