-19-07 01:55 AM - Post#449644
you just never no
Killer Qld pet camel a birthday present
A pet camel that killed a 60-year-old woman in a bizarre attack in Queensland's outback had been given to her as a birthday present from her family.
The 10-month-old animal knocked the woman to the ground, stomped on her head and then lay on top of her at her sheep and cattle property near Mitchell, about 600km west of Brisbane.
The woman's husband discovered her body about 6.30pm (AEST) after he returned from feeding stock.
Police said the pet had a history of bizarre behaviour, attempting to smother the family's pet goat on numerous occasions by sitting on it.
Roma police Detective Senior Constable Craig Gregory said the victim's husband was "devastated".
"The camel was actually a 60th birthday present that he and his daughter got her in March," he said.
"She had a love of exotic pets."
Det Sen Const Gregory said the victim, whose name has not been released, had been knocked over by the camel, which then "rolled around the ground a bit".
The woman had suffered "one definite footprint" on one side of her face and one on her arm.
"It's either smothered her or brought on a (heart) turn," Det Sen Const Gregory said.
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, he 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," Det Sen Const Gregory said.
"It's been chased off the goat a few times."
Det Sen Const Gregory said the family had intended giving the woman a llama or an alpaca for her birthday, but decided they were too expensive.
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.
Mr McHugh said that type of behaviour was more characteristic of a bull in season.
"That's how they kill their opposition - they pull their legs out from underneath and then sit on them with their brisket, which is that hard bit underneath their chest," Mr McHugh said.
"But the amount of people that have been killed by camels, I can probably count them on my one hand in Australia over the last 100 years."
Mr McHugh said camels still made great pets, describing them as "often better than dogs".
"But, like every animal, people that aren't experienced with them have got to be careful," he said.
A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out early this week.
no one should ever try to keep a bull camel as a pet you are just asking for trouble.
bernie
