An unnamed woman from Mitchell, Queensland, Australia has died after her pet camel knocked her down to the ground, stomped on her, and then laid on top of her, in what police suspect was an attempt by the camel to mate with her. The woman was found at 18:30 (AEST) by her husband after he finished feeding his stock at the family ranch.
The woman in question had a fondness for exotic pets, and received the camel as a 60th birthday present. The camel was 10 months old, and weighed 152kg (336lbs). Camels have lived in Australia since they were transported there in the 1840s. Camels are not normally aggressive, but can become more dangerous if treated as pets.
According to the police, the camel displayed possible mating behaviour. Craig Gregory, Detective Senior Constable for Queensland Police said, "I'd say it's probably been playing, or it may be even a sexual sort of thing." One camel expert, Craig Hill, claimed that the animal's behaviour was definitely sexual.
