INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightRACHAEL ANDERSONImage caption
Queensland's northern cattle region was devastated by floods in February
Like many other Australian graziers, Matt Bennetto could only start to count the dead after the rain had stopped.Flying in a
helicopter over his sodden cattle station, he was confronted by the "nightmare" of mass cattle losses.Animals were strewn across pastures
which had turned into water and mud."We probably flew over 10,000 carcasses that day, just going over my place and the neighbours'," he told
the TheIndianSubcontinent.His cattle at Julia Creek were among an estimated 500,000 livestock wiped out when a flood disaster hit northern
Queensland earlier this month.Image copyrightCOWAN DOWNS STATION/REUTERSImage caption
Animals seek higher ground to
escape the waters
"To see them all dead along the fence lines and in the corners - can you imagine that scene" he said."You
spend your whole life trying to breed beautiful animals and then you see something like that
state's north.Rain pummelled 13 million hectares of dedicated farming land - an area about the size of England - killing a third of cattle
The bulk of flooding stretched, in rough terms, between towns Normanton and Winton.Some areas received three times their average annual
At first the deluge was welcomed by farmers, who had sustained their cattle through years of drought
But as waters rose, the situation quickly turned and led to animals drowning
Many more died from exposure to the elements."These cattle are bred in hot, dry conditions," Mr Bennetto said
"Right before the rain they had gone through a week of over 40-degree [Celsius] temperatures."For an animal who can live in such extreme
heat, they're not good at surviving in that cold rain."Logistical challengesThe Queensland floods have come in an Australian summer that has
been marked by natural disasters.A number of other mass wildlife deaths have been recorded amid record-breaking heatwaves, and bushfires
have destroyed homes in three states.In the coastal Queensland city of Townsville, floodwaters led to two deaths.Image:The coastal city of
Townsville, east of the cattle regions, was also floodedFurther west, in the region of the mass cattle deaths, the floodwaters have receded
but a crisis remains."Producers are attempting to save as many cattle as possible, getting them out of mud and water, and providing them
with fodder and medical attention," said Michael Guerin, head of AgForce, the industry's peak body in Queensland.The army has helped bury
carcasses and fly hay bales to surviving animals.Image copyrightRURAL AIDImage caption
The army has assisted the
recovery effort
Charles Adler from Rural Aid, a charity which organised drop-offs, described it as a logistical
challenge."Some of these stations are 150km long, so finding alive cattle was a very difficult exercise
And then they're scattered everywhere in small mobs, so we're ferrying bales by chopper one at a time," he said.He said animals stuck in mud
were starving, while others were dying from shock, pneumonia and Three Day Sickness - a bovine fever spread by mosquitoes
Another grazier, Rachael Anderson, has lost at least 2,000 animals - about half of her herd - at her station in Julia Creek
She said the numbers were continuing to rise."We had lots of mothers birth just after the rain, but then die from exhaustion
So I'm hand-rearing 12 calves but there will be more," she said."Lots of people are in the same boat
We are just saving whatever lives we can."'Rebuilding from scratch'The estimated half a million deaths represent only a portion of
Australia's total cattle industry, which numbers about 27 million
But for northern Queensland, the toll is immense.Image copyrightAGFORCEImage caption
An area the size of England was
flooded, authorities say
Authorities have put the combined financial loss for about 800 graziers at more than A$5bn
Some farms will not have cash flow for up to three years, AgForce warns.The region's industry now has to "rebuild itself almost from
scratch", according to Mr Guerin
He said restocking may take years, while replacing prized "bloodlines" could take decades.Some graziers find it almost too hard to
As Mr Adler said: "They've struggled for seven years to keep their animals alive in the drought, and now they're left with the futility of
all that."Mr Bennetto, who lost more than 70% of his livestock, said he had chosen to suspend operations at his station for now."We're just
not in a position to come back right now," he said
"Maybe in a couple of months, we can get back on our feet and keep going
But I've already started a new job this week just so we can afford to pay our bills."Image copyrightRACHAEL ANDERSONImage caption
Rebuilding will be a very long process, graziers say
The government has offered up to A$75,000 in aid for each
grazier.But Ms Anderson said recovery would be "very, very hard", and in her case take at least 10 years."But we are young and resilient,"
