ACR-News

Wild camels have gone on the rampage in the Australian outback, attacking air conditioning units in search of water.
More than 200 of the thirsty animals, victims of one of the worst droughts in the country in decades, descended on an Aboriginal settlement at the edge of the Gibson Desert in West Australia.

The camels smashed air conditioning units, taps and toilets to drink water from the broken pipes, the Sunday Times reported.

Air conditioning units were a particular target because of the build up of moisture inside, Alex Knight, an investigating scientist told the newspaper.

'They are very big and strong animals. They can break through infrastructure. They are coming into the desert communities looking for water,' he said.

'They're after water, they're tearing taps out of the ground, pulling air conditioners off the side of buildings and getting up to mischief,' Mr Knight added to Australian news provider ABC Regional Online.

Soaring temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius have also caused a spate of bushfires to break out across the country, fuelled by extremely dry, hot weather and gusting winds.