Movement patterns of female feral camels in central and northern Australia

Abstract

Movement patterns of female feral camels were studied over four years (February 1993 to December 1996) in central and northern Australia using satellite telemetry. Areas used over 12-month periods (calculated using the fixed kernel method) were large (449–4933 km ² ) and increased with increasing aridity as measured by long-term mean annual rainfall. No consistent pattern of variation was detected in movement rates of camels across seasons. Data collected over several years are needed to classify movements in feral camels. The only telemetered camel that has been monitored for longer than two years (this study) appeared to move within a large home range over the concluding 3.5 years that it was tracked. Because the areas used are large, extensive buffer zones will be needed in arid regions to protect environmentally sensitive areas from the impacts of feral camels.