An angry camel has bitten and trampled a man to death at a children's holiday camp in Siberia, Russia. The guard, 51, punched the camel in the face, provoking the animal.
According to the Daily Mail , the camel retaliated by biting the man several times. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital in Omsk, but could not be saved. Prosecutors are investigating whether the camel was legally allowed to be kept at the children's camp.
Two-humped camels can weigh up to 816 kg. They live in the rocky deserts of Central and East Asia and are adapted to cope with temperature extremes. Bactrian wild camels are endangered as their numbers have declined significantly over the past 60 years due to hunting and habitat loss.
The former Soviet Union provided state subsidies to camel breeders in Russia during the 20th century, but their numbers have dwindled.
Camels have found new roles in entertainment, being used in camel races that are said to have become 'an obsession' in Russia. Camels in Russia today often face a miserable life in circuses or are abandoned.