Numbers of wild camels in Australia have dropped by a quarter in recent years because of drought and culling, a wildlife survey shows.
The camel population was estimated at one million a few years ago, but the body tasked with controlling the animals says it has fallen to 750,000.
Introduced in the 1800s, the camels now form the world's biggest wild herd.
But the camels cause significant environmental damage, and in 2010, the government endorsed a control plan.
The Australian Feral Camel Management Project (AFCMP) aims to reduce camel densities through culling and mustering the animals for sale.
With few natural predators and vast sparsely-populated areas in which to roam, feral camels have put pressure on native Australian species by reducing food sources and destroying habitat.
"Between 2001 and 2008, it was estimated that there could have been as many as a million feral camels in the outback," said Jan Ferguson, from the not-for-profit company Ninti One, which manages the AFCMP.
"Since then, however, there has been a major drought, the feral camel management programme has come into effect and population survey techniques have been improved."
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