Forget adrenaline sports – a new initiative to relieve frustrated Aboriginal youths in the interiors of Australia, has them camel hunting .
Substance abuse and alcoholism are rampant among teenagers in remote Aboriginal settlements like Kintore, in central Australia, where there are hardly any (legal) recreational opportunities to speak of. This has worried substance abuse task force experts enough to initiate camel hunting expeditions for these youngsters to channel their energy.
The camels themselves are not native Australian. Brought over from India in the 19th century for load carrying purposes, they have grown in number to become a nuisance.
They threaten fragile desert ecosystems, and destroy property.
The community of Docker River in the Northern Territory was under siege by 6,000 marauding wild camels, before being culled.
Camel hunting expeditions consist of teenagers accompanied by one of Kintore’s three police officers. Once an animal has been shot, it is butchered and the meat is taken back into the settlement to be shared with the elders of the community.
Camel Hunting can provide a lot of food for the community, and help save the outback Eco-system.
View Camel Recipes http://outbackcooking.blogspot.com/2009/05/camel-recipes.html
.
