A murderous camel escaped from a petting zoo and killed two men in Tennessee before being captured. What would drive a camel to act so aggressively? The one thing camels are known for is being able to go without.
Camel goes on murderous rampage
What would drive a camel to murder? Water, apparently. It is widely known that camels can go for long periods without water; however, that limit is about 15 days.
Shirley Farms is a petting zoo located in Obion County, Tennessee, located about 100 miles from Memphis. A past inspection report noted that there was little water available for the dromedary camels there. Further, inspection reports noted no barrier to protect the public or an attendant present at the time of an inspection.
Camels are not usually aggressive
Generally, camels are known for showing little aggressive behavior except between males during mating season, according to the San Diego Zoo.
Another known case of a camel attacking a man was noted in a July 2019 journal Trauma Case Reports, in which a 25-year-old man was attacked while feeding a camel under his care. The camel bit his face and neck, causing a facial nerve injury and a left eye evisceration.
Camel kills 2, attacks vehicles, preys on deputies
Four days ago, Obion County Sheriff’s were called about a “camel still on the loose.” Deputies arrived to find two unconscious victims on the ground. Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Ridgely Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the Lake County Rescue Squad also were on the scene.
The disturbed camel even attacked one of the Sheriff’s vehicles and then aggressively moved toward deputies who were trying to move a victim to the emergency medical services. The officers said they had no choice but to “put the camel down for the safety of everyone on the scene.”
The two unconscious victims, only identified as male, were pronounced dead at the scene.
History of animal care issues at petting zoo
On other occasions, LiveScience notes noted animal care issues at Shirley Farms had been noted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
A report from July 2019 stated: “The only access to drinking water for the camels and zebra was a tiny shallow muddy creek running through their enclosure. There was no access to any water troughs or other potable water sources. Access to potable water is necessary to prevent dehydration and spread of disease/parasites.”
In addition to camels, the facility also had a number of other animals that did not have protective barriers between them and the public, including a zebra, camels, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, pigs, fallow deer, kangaroo, zebu, rabbits, cavy, and prairie dogs. According to the USDA report from October 3, 2018, there was only “a barrier present between the public and the non-human primates but not for any of the other species present.”
