SYDNEY — The world’s largest cattle ranch has been forced to sell its livestock and mothball operations because of the severe drought gripping much of Australia.

Anna Creek station, which is bigger than Israel, encompasses 6 million acres, or 9,267 square miles, of scrub, sand dunes, and savannah in South Australia.

It normally supports 16,000 cattle but the “Big Dry” — the worst drought in a century — has exhausted the land, forcing the herd to be cut to less than 2,000.

Half the cattle were sold for slaughter, while the rest were moved to other properties owned by S Kidman & Co,, one of Australia’s best known pastoral companies. During the next few months the number of cattle is expected to dwindle to a handful. Anna Creek’s normal staff of around 20 men and women has been reduced to half a dozen. This is only the third time the ranch has been cleared of cattle since it began more than a century ago.

The extreme lack of rain has killed off some of the Outback’s hardiest tree species and is even threatening mulga and bluebush, tough shrubs that can withstand all but the worst dry spells.

Kidman’s human resources manager, Terry Omond, said: “‘It’s a boom and bust environment. It will come back to life eventually. No drought lasts forever.”