Delaware Man Killed by Falling Camel

A routine chore involving a camel turned fatal for a Delaware man this week. State police say a 65-year-old man died Tuesday evening in Felton after the animal fell onto him while he was tending to it, NBC Philadelphia reports. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The San Diego Zoo says most domesticated camels are dromedaries, which can weigh up to 1,320 pounds when grown, per WBOC. Longtime friend Torres Hector identified the victim to the Delaware News Journal as Juan Caride, who ran a pawn shop in Dover with his wife, Toni Caride.

In 2014, the News Journal reported on the Carides’ farm, home to 20 horses, nine donkeys, and three camels named Batman, Bubbles, and Chocolate. Tori Caride told the newspaper that the camels, which they had raised since they were babies, were her husband’s idea. “My husband just thought it would be neat to get a camel and he bought Batman,” she said. “He was about a week old when we got him and we felt that he was lonely, so he said I better get a couple more for him. So we went and found two females that were the same age and we got those for him.” Michael Lewis at the state Department of Agriculture says camels are treated like regular livestock in Delaware, meaning no special permit is required.