Dromedary Camel Kills Two Men, Attacks Police Vehicle in Tennessee After Escaping from Petting Zoo

A dromedary camel assaulted and killed two men outside Memphis in Tennessee after escaping from a petting zoo on Thursday, March 10.

The camel also attacked a sheriff's vehicle, resulting in a standoff between the dromedary camel and the police.

The camel was later taken down by law enforcement.

Loose Dromedary Camel

On Thursday, local authorities responded to a call about people being attacked by a loose male dromedary camel from the Shirley Farms in Obion County, Tennessee.

The arrival of law enforcement found two unconscious victims laying on the ground at the farm, as per Live Science.

Deputies of the Obion County Sheriff's Office, along with members of the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Ridgely Police Department, Lake County Rescue Squad, and Tennessee Highway Patrol, arrived at the scene to assist the public and transfer them to a safe place.

The arrival of law enforcement ensued in a standoff between the police and the camel, which also attacked a sheriff's vehicle.

The camel also assaulted some deputies who were assisting in the evacuation and emergency service at Shirley Farms.

The law enforcement had no choice but to kill the aggressive camel.

The two men, who were unconscious, were pronounced dead at the scene.

It is not clear how the camel killed the victims. However, male camels are known for being aggressive with other male camels and human males during its mating season.

Safety Issues

A petting zoo also called a petting farm or an animal farm is somehow similar to a standard zoo. The difference is that it contains a mixture of domesticated animals and wild animals, wherein this case the dromedary camel escaped from the petting zoo Shirley Farms.

Based on a previous inspection report in July 2019 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Shirley farms had no concrete barrier to protect a petting zoo visitor from caged animals during the time of the inspection.

Furthermore, the US agency also reportedly stated the said animal farm had insufficient drinking water for the dromedary camels, as well as zebras. This is due to the inaccessible water troughs or source of potable drinking water.

Dromedary Camel

Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius), also known as Arabian camels, are known for their single hump that contains large amounts of stored fat.

This can be transformed into the water as a source of energy for navigating across the desert for a prolonged period of time, as per the National Geographic.

Unlike dromedary camels, other camel species have two humps on their back. These humps serve as large storage for water supply.

Dromedary camels are abundant in the Middle East, which consists of some of the vastest deserts in the world that can reach extremely hot temperatures.

Dromedaries and other camels can traverse these seemingly endless desert landscapes.

According to the National Geographic, the Arabian camels were first domesticated approximately 3,500 years and were used as pack animals that were also able to carry heavy objects.