Footprints at outback camping spot highlight Australia's rarely seen feral problem
Michelle Gilmore felt both delighted and unsettled after noticing the markings in the red dirt where they were setting up camp in Western Australia.
A group of Aussies camping in the outback were left a little on edge after spotting mysterious footprints in the red dirt last week, forcing many of them to set up their tents close to trees amid fears they could be trampled during the night.
Michelle Gilmore and her family were travelling through "the centre of Australia" on a 70-day camping trip when they stopped for the night at a free campsite at East Warakurna near the Western Australia and Northern Territory border.
However, footprints along the dirt — shaped almost perfectly circular — left the family feeling unsettled even though they knew who the footprints belonged to.
"We saw the camels before we got to the campsite... it was such a thrill," the Queenslander said. "We'd seen camera footage out in that area [of the animals] and I'd always hoped to see them in the wild because we spend a lot of time on dirt roads.
"For all of us to see them, we were chuffed."
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Footprints forced seasoned travellers to set up camp differently
Despite the unexpected and welcome camel sighting in the safety of their cars, the family confessed they were "nervous" at the prospect of camping overnight with the camels so close.
"We have a caravan so we knew that we had four walls around us that night but the other three were in tents so they were a bit wary," she said, explaining her mum, sister and brother-in-law were braving the elements, and wildlife, more so than her and her husband.
"They made sure that they set up the tents backing onto a tree so they'd be safe from the camels...
"The camels had clearly roamed through the campsite and then moved on," she added.
Michelle and her husband Heatley own Camps Australia Wide, a camping guide app that highlights free and budget-friendly campsites around the country, so while they're no strangers to experiencing the weird and wonderful wildlife in the outback, they admit fearing a camel stampede was a first.
According to the government data, there are more than 300,000 feral camels in Australia. From 1840–1907, between 10,000 and 20,000 camels were imported Down Under from India but when cars became available, many were simply set free into the wild.
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