When a good idea turns into a nightmare.....

When all those boats left Europe to conquer various countries around the world - they took all sorts of interesting seeds, plants and animals with them - not realising that what grows in one country without danger can take over in a warmer setting.

In NZ we have the danger of privet hedging - the early settlers brought cuttings which once planted in NZs fertile soils and in NZs warm wet climate allowed the plant to go bananas. It is now classed as a noxious weed here.

Imagine then, when camels seemed a really good idea for the Australian outback!

Originally in 1860, 20,000 one humped camels were shipped from India and Pakistan to help pioneer the ooutback.

Australia now has 1 million camels and growing! Estimates are that in 8 - 10 years the population will double. They are chomping their way through 80% of plant species which native birds and insects need to survive.

Read more Ecademy.com

Posted by Ann Andrews CSP, filed under Tool-box News and posted on 01/03/2010

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