Australia’s feral camels: the world’s clean, coveted breeding stock

Australia hosts the world’s largest wild camel population (estimates range 300,000–1 million), a feral herd that has remained largely disease-free—especially from MERS—thanks to more than a century of isolation. Gulf buyers pay a premium for these “clean” breeding animals, but the live-camel trade is small and costly, with shipments limited to a few hundred per year and high transport costs. Population management relies mainly on helicopter culls, and while researchers point to the disease-free status, it isn’t a universal health guarantee. Despite ongoing interest from Middle Eastern breeders, little deals materialize beyond boutique trades, keeping the market niche.