Monday, August 20, 2007
Australian Woman Killed By Horny Camel
It could only happen in the Outback. An Australian woman was killed by a pet camel given to her as a 60th birthday present after the animal apparently tried to have sex, police said Sunday. The woman was killed Saturday at her family's sheep and cattle ranch. According to Aussie authorities, the 10-month-old male camel, weighing about 330 pounds, knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her, then exhibited what police suspect was mating behavior! And we though sheep were unique in this area!
"I'd say it's probably been playing, or it may be even a sexual sort of thing," Gregory said, adding the camel almost suffocated the family's pet goat by straddling it on several occasions. Camel expert Chris Hill said he had no doubt the camel's behavior was sexual. Police said the camel had a history of bizarre behaviour. The young male camel, which was hand-reared by the woman and still drank out of a bottle, had previously tried to smother the family goat by sitting on it, Detective Gregory said. "It had a bit of a habit with a goat, knocking it over and sort of straddling it and laying on top of it. Townsville-based camel expert Paddy McHugh said the behaviour was "extremely unusual" for a camel so young. "That's a characteristic of a camel out of control," he said.
I think they should have stuck with a nice sweet Australian Shepard or something. The woman was given the camel in March as a birthday present from her husband and daughter. "She had a love of exotic pets," Gregory said. He said the family had intended giving the woman a llama or an alpaca for her birthday, but decided they were too expensive. Mr McHugh said camels still made great pets, describing them as "often better than dogs".
That may be true but when my dog is humping my leg, you can usually shoo him off. Try that with a 330 pound horny camel who thinks that you're a hottie. Good luck my friend!
"I'd say it's probably been playing, or it may be even a sexual sort of thing," Gregory said, adding the camel almost suffocated the family's pet goat by straddling it on several occasions. Camel expert Chris Hill said he had no doubt the camel's behavior was sexual. Police said the camel had a history of bizarre behaviour. The young male camel, which was hand-reared by the woman and still drank out of a bottle, had previously tried to smother the family goat by sitting on it, Detective Gregory said. "It had a bit of a habit with a goat, knocking it over and sort of straddling it and laying on top of it. Townsville-based camel expert Paddy McHugh said the behaviour was "extremely unusual" for a camel so young. "That's a characteristic of a camel out of control," he said.
I think they should have stuck with a nice sweet Australian Shepard or something. The woman was given the camel in March as a birthday present from her husband and daughter. "She had a love of exotic pets," Gregory said. He said the family had intended giving the woman a llama or an alpaca for her birthday, but decided they were too expensive. Mr McHugh said camels still made great pets, describing them as "often better than dogs".
That may be true but when my dog is humping my leg, you can usually shoo him off. Try that with a 330 pound horny camel who thinks that you're a hottie. Good luck my friend!