'That's camelcide!' Australian PM Kevin Rudd labelled 'serial killer' for launching camel culling operation

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been described as a serial killer on American TV because he has approved the culling of wild camels in the outback.

In an extraordinary departure from discussing the world's finances on the American CNBC network, anchor woman Erin Burnett caught viewers' attention by declaring: 'There is a serial killer in Australia and we are going to put a picture up so we can see who it is.'

Then a large photo of Mr Rudd appeared on the screen, with Miss Burnett confirming his identity.

Kevin Rudd announced last week that it is setting aside £10 million in a camel-culling operation to reduce the one million camel population

'OK, well, do you know what he is doing?

'He has launched air strikes - air strikes! - against camels in the outback.'



With a stuffed toy camel on the desk in front of her, Miss Burnett broke away from her usual role of analysing stock movements on Wall Street.

Sitting with the network's high profile financial commentator Jim Cramer, she said there were one million camels living wild in Australia and the animals would be shot.



'They are slaughtering them?' asked a shocked Cramer.



'They are slaughtering them,' Miss Burnett repeated, adding that the meat and milk from the camels would be wasted after the animals were shot down.

Massacre: Camels were introduced to Australia from Afghanistan and India in the 19th century to help move heavy goods to remote parts of the country

'Apparently there is a billion dollars of meat out there,' she said.

'That's genocide...camelcide,' said Cramer.

As she told Cramer that she hoped Australians would see her segment, the picture of Mr Rudd appeared on the screen again.

'There he is,' she said. 'That's the man who approved it.'



Mr Rudd's Labour government announced last week that it is setting aside £10 million in a camel-culling operation to reduce the one million camel population.

The decision has divided environmental groups, some agreeing that the animals pose a problem for native creatures in the outback while other conservationists say it is wrong to blast the animals with guns from helicopters because many would be wounded but not killed.

Camels were introduced to Australia from Afghanistan and India in the 19th century to help move heavy goods to remote parts of the country, but as rail transport spread the redundant animals were set free to roam the outback.

Those against the one-humped Camelus dromedarius say they compete with native creatures for food and also cause damage in Aboriginal communities in their search for water, fracturing pipes and breaking air conditioning units.

Health conscious groups say camels that are shot should not be left to rot on the ground - their meat should be used for meals because it is low in fat and has little cholesterol.

