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In the spirit of April Fool's Day, Victoria Police have pulled a prank so good it's left some people wishing it were real.
The statewide police service shared a photo of their new Mounted Camel Division on Facebook this morning (April 1, of course).
"Victoria Police will soon take ownership of its new caravan of Camels as part of an expansion to mounted operations," the statement read.
"The new one and two hump camels will be a welcome addition to the current herd, helping the organisation address both climate change and fuel price hikes."
Victoria Police also listed some of the benefits that the 'new recruits' will bring to the table such as 'cutting down on water cannon expenditure'.
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The new recruits boast ' three sets of eyelids, two rows of eyelashes, and the ability to completely shut their nostrils – a capability Victoria Police have never had before (usefulness TBC)'.
Plus, they're a 'fuel efficient all-terrain vehicle that can be deployed on long-rage beach and desert patrols' and are 'comparable in speed and agility to racehorses but requiring less food and water'.
According to the statement, East West Specialist Operations Inspector Bactrian Camelus said the addition of camels would assist police in overcoming some of the humps in everyday policing.
“The new unit will be staffed entirely by wild rescue camels” he said.
“Unlike much of Australia, Victoria doesn’t currently have an issue with introduced camels, so by bringing them here and providing them with a meaningful role within the community we are doing a favour to our interstate peers.”
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Alas, the seemingly brilliant idea did turn out to be a classic cop gag, but that didn't stop social media users praising the idea nonetheless.
One person wrote: "Nice, wish this were true or the camels' sake."
Others played along with the joke, with another adding: "Very innovative VicPol. I believe the usefulness of being able to completely shut nostrils is quite obvious."
It isn't the first time Aussie cops have come out on top with a joke on the community.
South Australia Police announced sausage dogs were joining their dog squad for April Fool's Day last year.
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The video footage was adorable, but sadly it was untrue.
But one stand-out cop parody came from Mount Isa Police in 2015 - and it had nothing to do with April Fool's Day.
The Queensland force told the public about the Mount Isa Hoverboard Unit after a silver sedan had crashed into a power pole near the cinema.
The driver told police he was going at 88 miles per hour and was in possession of a licence which expired over 30 years ago.
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"Investigations into the vehicle and what a flux capacitor is, are ongoing," Mount Isa Police said at the time, which just so happened to be Back to the Future Day, a celebration of the date Marty and Doc visited in the 1989 sci-fi time travel adventure sequel Back to the Future II.
So Aussie police: keep up the good work - and don't forget to protect, serve, and have fun.
Rachel Lang