Camel Put Down After Escaping Tennessee Petting Zoo and Killing Two Bystanders

Mar 16

The petting zoo had previously come under fire for animal abuse and safety allegations.

Two people have been killed after a stressed camel escaped from an enclosure at a petting zoo in Tennessee, according to a statement released on Facebook by a county sheriff. The camel was put down when officials arrived on the scene.

The incident occurred on March 10, at around 4.44pm when officials from the Obion county sheriff’s office ”received a call of a loose camel near Shirley Farms on South Bluff Road in Obion, Tennessee attacking people”. Deputies reportedly arrived to find two people already unconscious, with the camel still loose.

As officials were trying to move people to safety, the camel moved towards them, according to the statement. “It was at this time officers had to put the camel down for the safety of everyone on scene.”

The two victims, identified as Bobby Matheny, 42, and Tommy Gunn, 67, “did succumb to their injuries and were pronounced dead on scene”.

Shirley Farms has a history of safety concerns. The U.S. Department of Agriculture criticized the zoo in 2018 after adults and children “were petting and feeding animals without any employee/attendant present.” The inspector also noted: “There is a barrier present between the public and the non-human primates but not for any of the other species present including a zebra, camels, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, pigs, fallow deer, kangaroo, zebu, rabbits, cavy, and prairie dogs.

“The only attendant noted present at the exhibit was the cashier who does not have a direct line of sight on any of the animals. To prevent injury to the public and the animals and to ensure proper human-animal interactions [and] feeding, an attendant must be present.”

Animal care and regulatory issues have also been listed as areas of concern at Shirley Farms. In 2019, an inspector said “the only access to drinking water for the camels and zebra was a very small shallow muddy creek running through their enclosure. There was no access to any water troughs or other potable water source.”

Captivity Kills

The incident has also shone a spotlight on the underlying ethical issues surrounding animal captivity attractions, like Shirley Farms. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called the events “tragic yet unsurprising” in light of the farm’s “history of failing to have employees supervise interactions with camels, among many other citations for violating federal law”. The group also commented that “injuries abound when animals are exploited for entertainment” and urged people to “avoid sleazy roadside attractions as if lives depended on it—because they do.”

Elsewhere, the statement released on Facebook by the county sheriff showed strong opposition against zoos and other venues that exploit animals for profit.

“I hate that people feel the need to make money off wild life, and then the innocent wildlife always pays the price for humans. It's a sad situation all the way around,” read one of the Facebook comments.

“Terrible. Camel in captivity fearful and agitated. The attack on the two humans trying to recapture the animal is not surprising. Why I do not like zoos; they are basically cruel money-making enterprises. The words "prayers/praying" have appeared 546 times on this thread. Certainly not doing the deceased any good. Perhaps instead of prayers we should consider intelligent changes in keeping animals in unnatural captivity,” said another.

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