Harry , the first camel to arrive in Australia in 1840 , was an unlucky beast.He was imported from the Canary Islands by explorer John Horrocks.On an expedition( 探险 ) , Horrocks picked up his gun in order to shoot “ a beautiful bird to be added to the collection ”. Perhaps Harry was an ecologist—he lurched( 突然倾斜 ) , and the gun discharged , shooting Horrocks in the face. Horrocks not surprisingly died of his injuries , and his teammates ordered Harry to be shot.The first importation of a camel into Australia came to naught . In 1860,24 camels arrived in Australia to be part of an expedition by explorers Robert O ’ Hara Burke and William John Wills.It was an unlucky expedition.The pair made one mistake after another , and ended up eating most of their camels , before starving to death. Six years later , more than 100 camels and their Afghan minders , arrived in Australia.This time it succeeded and more camels followed. Sir Thomas Elder set up the first camel studs( 种畜场 ) in South Australia , while others were set up in Western Australia.This time the camels bred( 繁殖 ) like wildfire.They were used for working , rather than exploring expeditions. The imported Afghan cameleers were just as hardy and vital , leading camel trains across the cruel interior( 内陆 ) of Australia , where few dared to go.The camels carried heavy packs of wool and supplies and opened up the desert areas as none had managed to do before.The train that does this crossing today is called the Ghan , in their honor. Motorization put these camel trains out of business , and many camels were turned loose.The camels loved Australia , and multiplied in amazing numbers.What is to be done with them? Not surprisingly they have become quite a tourist attraction and you can take a camel ride in the desert as the Afghan cameleers once did.But the fact is that camels create quite a problem in areas where they have taken over , as they damage local vegetation , muscle out native animals competing for food , and create chaos when they wander into settled areas.