An employee of the Minnesota Zoo is still recovering after a camel attacked and bit him on the head. Fortunately, the victim only suffered minor injuries while the camel was unharmed.
Camel Attacks A Zoo Employee
The Stearns County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of an animal bite at Hemker Park & Zoo, situated in the small town of Freeport close to St. Cloud, just before three o'clock Wednesday.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Stearns County Sheriff's Office said they discovered that the victim, Roger Blenker, was walking a camel through an alleyway to prepare it for transit to another facility.
"During the process, the camel placed Blenker's head into its mouth, biting down on his head. The camel then dragged Blenker by the head approximately fifteen feet," a news release mentioned.
Seth Wickson, a second employee, allegedly intervened by inserting a plastic walking board into the camel's jaws to force the animal to loosen its hold on Blenker's head. Blenker, 32, was able to rise up by himself and rush to safety after being released from the camel's bite.
The camel then lunged at 32-year-old Wickson and bit his skull. According to authorities, he could reach a secure area independently and declined medical attention.
Blenker is anticipated to fully recover after being flown to the St. Cloud Hospital by the Life Link Helicopter.
A camel trainer rides a camel near the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Khafra at the Giza Pyramids Necropolis on the western outskirts of the Egyptian capital's twin city of Giza.
How The Zoo Owner Recovered From Camel Attack
Posting an update on Facebook, Hemker Park & Zoo acknowledged that its owners interacted with a camel throughout routine zoo operations on July 14.
According to the Minnesota-based zoo, the camel was unharmed during the encounter and in good condition. However, the company mentioned that the owner did suffer minor wounds and was anticipated to recover fully.
The zoo stated in a Facebook post that once the owner was inspected by medical professionals, he was required to be relocated following protocol.
The zoo owner suffered minor injuries. His condition is not life-threatening. Also, he is conscious, oriented, and able to move around.
On July 15, the hospital discharged the zoo owner.
The camel is still doing well, has no injuries, and still enjoys the lovely weather, according to Hemker Park & Zoo.
Rutting Season
Camels seldom bite people in the United States. Still, when they do, it's usually during the rutting season from December to March, when the males are naturally more aggressive. The head and face are injured 60 to 70 percent of the time when human bites occur.
Due to their seasonal breeding habits, camels can only reproduce during the coldest winter months. The BS, also known as the "rutting phase" or "rut," as detailed in the paper, is when males display morphological, behavioral, and endocrinological characteristics. This is according to a study by Barbara Padalino from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bari "Aldo Moro" in Italy.
Another study discovered that camel bite wounds might involve blunt wounds from being picked up, hoisted, and tossed by the animal and piercing and crushing wounds from the camel's mouth. These wounds might result in serious abrasions, lacerations, and fractures of the skin, tendons, muscles, and nerves.
The primary cause of harm to the head and face are caused by a camel's vertical, tusk-like canines, which bite into whatever it is biting. According to Newsweek, camels have strong jaw muscles and a propensity to shake their heads when they attack, which causes the ripping of delicate tissue.
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