There are no capes or batmobiles, but there are superheroes in the making at Paul Keegan’s camel stud in North West Queensland.
The self-confessed “camel man” has created an academy for weed-whacking wonders to take on one of the state’s thorniest villains — prickly acacia.
Graziers in the thick of the fight are embracing his unusual methods to take back their paddocks, and in the process discovering a new business opportunity.
If they win, it could save them millions of dollars and bring consumers a new, organic alternative meat.
Weed-whackers, assemble
Mr Keegan struggles to pick a favourite from his mob of more than 70 camels, bred on properties around Mount Isa.
“Some have more personality than others,” Mr Keegan said.
While they are not a traditional feature of most outback properties, there was plenty of interest at a field day in Hughenden from graziers looking to get involved.
Landholders are trying to control prickly acacia, an invasive weed that is costing them dearly.
It turns out camels have a superpower that can help — their stomachs.
And unlike Batman’s Alfred, Mr Keegan has no interest in keeping their identity a secret.
“Every place should have at least 15 to 20 camels,” he said.
“Just to tap away at the flowers on the prickle trees.”
Those flowers hold about 10 seeds each, and when eaten by cattle or sheep are easily spread in their faeces.
But trials by natural resource management group Desert Channels Queensland (DCQ) show when camels eat them, they don’t poop out the seeds.
If camels are the superheroes of the prickly acacia fight, DCQ senior field officer Natalie Pearce is the one sending out the bat signals.
“Because they eat about 360 flowers per day, that’s about 3,600 potential seeds that are not going back into the landscape,” she said.
“So there’s real potential for camels … to prevent the further spread of those seeds in the environment.”
Intensive prickly acacia control programs have run for more than 20 years in the west.
They are usually done by chemical spraying but the cost is skyrocketing.
A report commissioned by DCQ showed the cost of controlling it jumped from $185 million in 1996 to $240 million in 2021.
Despite the spend, the weed now covers almost half of the Queensland side of the Lake Eyre Basin.
DCQ estimates landholders lose $27.5 million every year in lost production and expenditure, and if it isn’t eradicated, that figure could reach $100 million in just 15 years.
“It’s a huge challenge for landholders trying to control this weed,” Ms Pearce said.
“It has the potential to be an enormously expensive problem.”
Farmers join the fight
Two years ago when the camel trials first started, some graziers questioned if it would lead to victory — or Arkham Asylum.
But for Emma Francis, who has struggled to gain control over a prickly acacia infestation on her property near Winton in western Queensland, the results have been convincing.
“It’s really exciting to hear [the camel doesn’t reproduce the seeds],” she said.
“Because with the cattle, it’s a never-ending battle when they’re reproducing it.”
Winton butcher Dan Nichols said camels could also offer a new revenue stream for those looking to diversify.
He said more than just being good eaters, they were also good eating.
“It is seriously one of Australia’s greatest sources of organic protein,” he said.
“A lot of people can barely tell the difference between beef and camel.
“Once more people realise how tasty and how good it is, a lot more people would get into it.”
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