2 killed by petting zoo camel in Obion County, Tennessee

WPSD TV ^ | Mar 11, 2022 Updated 2 hrs ago | Leanne Fuller

[Paul R.]

OBION COUNTY, TN — Two people died after they were attacked by a camel at a petting zoo in Obion, Tennessee, investigators confirmed Friday.

The Obion County Sheriff's Office says it received a call about a camel was on the loose and attacking people near Shirley Farms on South Bluff Road in Obion, Tennessee, around 4:44 p.m. Thursday. The Jackson Sun reports that the camel was a featured animal at the Shirley Farms petting zoo.

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[Paul R.]

No details on what triggered the camel, aside from poor care and control of the animals, but, geez...

Bizzarro world.

[kiryandil]

Don’t pet the bison.

[kiryandil]

The victims, who died on scene, were identified as Bobby Matheny, 42, of Ridgely, and Tommy Gunn, 67, of Obion.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Mess with the camel and you get the hump.

I’d heard they can have nasty dispositions. Loose in a petting zoo? Seems like a poor practice.

[CivilWarBrewing]

Did they smoke the camel?

[bigbob]

Stick with goats and Bunny rabbits and stuff

[Born in 1950]

Poor souls didn’t wake up this morning expecting to die. RIP

No one is guaranteed one more breath.

[Ransomed]

I don’t know if it’s what happened here, but male camels can be very dangerous when they go into rut. They can really bite and slash with their teeth as well as stomp and kick.

Freegards

[euram]

I’d walk a mile for a Camel.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

"I'd walk RUN a mile for FROM a camel."

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

GMTA

[gundog]

Ya might wanna run.

[drSteve78]

I don’t know the particulars, but it would be unlikely to have an intact male camel around people specifically because of the potential for anything from minor mishap up to death.

Camels are generally more tolerant than any exotics, but they are not pets. They are to be looked at, not touched. No mention of how/why the camel was not confined.

And no one goes to a petting zoo expecting to die.

[drSteve78]

Ya might wanna run.

In any foot race with a camel, you lose.

[Joe Boucher]

Went to Yellowstone last year.
Stoopids regardless of race, religion,age, sex, got out of their vehicles to take selfies with multitudes of bison, black bear, black bear with cubs and elk as big as a chevy truck.

[Irenic]

amen

[Paul R.]

Yes, I’ve not found further details. This was the most complete article I’ve found so far.

[yesthatjallen]

Animals, like people, have moods. Sometimes people just want to be left alone. Did the camel have that option? You wonder what was going through his mind. 'If ONE more person touches me I'm going to lose it'.

I've never seen a camel at a petting zoo. This doesn't sound like a good choice of animals to pet. Domesticated does not mean tame.

[kiryandil]

Stoopids regardless of race, religion,age, sex, got out of their vehicles to take selfies with multitudes of bison, black bear, black bear with cubs and elk as big as a chevy truck.

Dang.

[seowulf]

Camel was probably mad it didn’t win the beauty contest.