Animal Liberation’s Australian-first investigation exposes the dark side of camel tourism.

Shocking footage shows wild camels captured, roughly handled, expressing pain and distress, psychologically ‘broken’, and forced into servitude by Uluru Camel Tours in Yulara, Northern Territory.

These revelations draw direct parallels to other unethical animal tourism attractions in Australia and overseas. This investigation highlights some of the issues inherent in animal-based tourism as well as the lack of animal welfare regulation and oversight within the industry.

TRIGGER WARNING: This footage includes graphic and potentially distressing material.

About the Uluru Camel Tours investigation

Animal Liberation was contacted by a whistleblower regarding alleged animal cruelty concerns they witnessed. To validate the alleged animal cruelty claims, we sent our campaign researchers to the tourist attraction to witness the alleged cruelty firsthand and gather more evidence against the facility.

After reviewing their evidence, we identified potential breaches of the Model Code of Practice (‘the Model Code’) for the Welfare of Animals: The Camel (2006) and the Northern Territory Animal Welfare Act 1999. We also consulted with independent agents and provided information to the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism, and Trade. The Department initiated an investigation into the allegations and laid three charges against the operator: two counts of failing to meet the duty of care and one count of animal cruelty. These charges, however, were withdrawn prior to the Northern Territory court hearing.

To ensure adherence to justice and the law, Animal Liberation made a deliberate and conscious decision to delay making the details of our in-depth investigation public for a period of approximately two (2) years. The delay included two (2) court case adjournments and then the withdrawal of the charges on 22 February 2023. Our investigation findings and the decision not to proceed with the charges demonstrate the urgent need for independent animal welfare oversight as well as strengthened and specific animal welfare legislation that can be enforced. There were no findings against Mr Hill in relation to that matter.

We also contacted Tripadvisor, marketed as the world's largest travel site, and outlined our allegations relating to breaches of Tripadvisor's Animal Welfare Policy, as outlined on their Animal Welfare Education Portal. Tripadvisor has since removed the ability to purchase tickets for Uluru Camel Tours from their website.

Uluru Camel Tours should be held accountable for what we maintain and allege is the cruelty inflicted on, and the extensive suffering experienced by these Australian free-roaming camels. As consumers, it is up to all of us to demand justice and the ethical treatment of all animals. Please join Animal Liberation in calling upon the Hon. Murray Watt, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to undertake an urgent review of animal welfare legislation and the Model Code with public input.

What our investigation revealed

They are taken from the wild

Dromedary camels established a healthy population after being discarded and released into the Australian outback in the 1940s. Businesses like Uluru Camel Tours capture the free-roaming camels. During our investigation, we documented Uluru Camel Tours owner, Christopher Hill, and his staff setting up traps around a water source. Once trapped, decisions are made about which camels will be sent to slaughter and which ones will be used for camel rides. To force the terrified camels on the truck, our footage shows the use of a bobcat and staff using rakes and electric jiggers.

Life in captivity is stressful and frustrating

The camels who are kept for tours go from a life of freedom to one of confinement, training, tethering, and forced work. As nomadic animals, camels travel thousands of kilometres each year. At Uluru Camel Tours, they are confined to small barren pens with no enrichment. They are forced to live among camels from different social groups, resulting in high levels of stress. In the wild, camels often seek refuge from the sun during peak temperatures. Our footage shows some camels on the farm, being denied the opportunity to seek shelter from the elements, as some pens lack any shade or shelter. Some were even left tethered to railings, unable to escape the extreme weather. 

The whistleblower noted that their water was often in the sun and their intake of food and water is highly controlled. The camels are also fed an exclusive diet of hay, which can cause nutritional deficiencies, as their natural diet consists of a wide variety of vegetation. 

The camels undergo surgical procedures

Camels undergo surgical procedures to make them easier for workers to control and ‘safe’ for interactions with tourists. At Uluru Camel Tours, some camels undergo genital castration, nose pegging, and iron branding. The footage shows the owner of Uluru Camel Tours castrating adult camels. According to the witness statement, they did not see anaesthesia or pain relief used in these processes while they observed them. Nose pegging involves puncturing a hole through the camel’s nostril, through which a peg is then inserted and attached to a rope, to direct camels during tours. As their noses are sensitive, pulling the nose pegs is likely to cause them pain.

Additionally, the RSPCA states in its position paper ‘Painful farm animal husbandry procedures’ that “The castration of deer, donkeys, horses and camelids of all ages is considered a major surgical procedure and must only be performed under anaesthetic by a veterinary surgeon” [1]

They are ‘broken down’ for months during training

To train wild camels to be suitable ‘tourism machines’, they are physically and mentally broken down. Camels are considered to be stubborn and disobedient animals and the staff told investigators that ‘breaking them down’ can take between six to eighteen months.

According to the whistleblower and their evidence, training methods include:

• depriving the camels of food and water to weaken them and make them easier to control,

• punishment, such as constant tethering, withdrawal of food and water, pulling on the nose peg, and hitting,

• repetition and reinforcement of words and actions by trainers,

• using food and/or water as a reward.

The combination of these methods results in a fear dynamic between the human and camel.

The camels are first taught to lay down and stand on command before having the saddle placed on their back. They are then ‘broken in’ with tyres attached to the saddles to prepare them for carrying people. During this stage of the training, camels frequently attempt to escape while being mounted by a trainer. This process is repeated for several months before it becomes the animal’s daily ritual when they begin working. The staff control the camel's head by using a halter and/or tether which is attached to the nose peg.

The camels are overworked

At Uluru Camel Tours, up to 250 people ride these camels nearly every day. Most camels are made to provide up to four rides a day, carrying up to 300kg at a time. The tour operator owner ensures that a camel will be available whenever there is someone there to pay for a ride. As their sole purpose is to generate income for the business owners, camels used for tourism are routinely overworked. They are also considered to be replaceable, which leaves little incentive for them to be properly cared for or rested.

Many of the staff are inexperienced and resort to rough treatment

According to the witness statement, Uluru Camel Tours has a high staff turnover due to its remote location. As a result, its employees often have a lack of knowledge and experience when handling the camels. Video evidence shows some staff resorting to rough treatment – hitting, kicking, whipping, pulling, pinching and deliberately harassing the camels in an effort to force them to comply. The camels frequently vocalise their frustration, while others gave the staff a warning as if they were going to bite them. The staff pass off their vocalisations as saying “hello” to the tourists. Staff also told investigators that they cannot give in to those who resist, as they learn that this gets them out of work and then others are influenced to do the same.

There is no retirement plan

There is no standard retirement plan for animals in the tourism industry. The whistleblower stated that their ‘retirement’ will only ever take place when they die, suffer serious injury, or become too ill to perform their expected duties. Investigators met ‘Jack’, a 40+-year-old camel at Uluru Camel Tours, who was kept to train new camels during tours. In our view, the few who do end up in rescue situations will spend their few remaining years suffering from the physical and mental scars of their past.