NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS AT THE ZOO

by Bob Walsh

 

 

A camel at Shirley Farms, in Obion County, Tennessee, got loose Thursday afternoon and started attacking some bystanders, killing two men

 

Three days ago two people were killed at a petting zoo in Obion, Tennessee.  By a camel.

The Sheriff's Office got the call about 4:445 p.m. on last Tuesday.  When they arrived they found two people down, and they were then charged by the camel.  Camels are tough, but they are not bullet proof.  Camel is now dead.

Unfortunately so are Bobby Matheney, 42, and Tommy Gunn, 67.  A camel can weight over 1,200 pounds and they often have unpleasant dispositions.  

The people at Shirley Farms, where the incident occurred, have thus far declined comment.

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Two men killed by camel that escaped from Tennessee petting zo 

 

By Patrick Reilly

 

New York Post

March 12, 2022

 

 

 Bobby Matheny, 42, was one of the two men cornered by the animal

 

Two men were killed by a rampaging camel that escaped from a petting zoo in Tennessee, according to local officials.

Bobby Matheny, 42, and Tommy Gunn, 67, both from The Volunteer State, died after they were cornered and attacked by the frenzied camel Thursday in Obion, roughly 100 miles northeast of Memphis.

The humped beast was killed by responding law enforcement officers.

The Obion County Sheriff’s Office got a call about a loose camel attacking people near the Shirley Farms petting Zoo at around 4:45 p.m., the department said in a statement.

When deputies arrived, they found the two unconscious victims and the unhinged creature on the loose. Several agencies were on the scene to provide aid and get the victims to safety.

As deputies moved one of the victims into an ambulance, the camel reappeared and attacked a sheriff’s office vehicle. Officers were forced to “put the camel down for the safety of everyone on the scene,” the statement said.

Matheny and Gunn succumbed to their injuries and were declared dead at the scene.

It’s not clear how the camel got loose.

A family member of one of the victims told WTVF that the two men had been at the farm to try and help capture the camel. The animal cornered them and attacked, stomping the men to death, the relative said.

A camel expert told the outlet that when fully grown, the animals “have enough strength to crush arms and legs along with your neck while kicking forward and backwards.”

“Most animals can only kick backwards. Camels will do a combination of all those things while kneeling forward to crush you,” the expert said.

 

Law enforcement officers later killed the camel “for the safety of everyone on [the] scene.”

Shirley Farms told CBS News that they are upset and grieving about the attack, but provided no further details. 

Matheny had worked as a janitor at Lake County High School, according to an online obituary. A funeral service has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday in the school’s gymnasium.