Camel Bites Zookeeper In The Face During Feeding, Victim 'Seriously Injured'

A camel in Germany bit a zookeeper in the face while the man was cleaning out an enclosure and feeding the animals.

The attack took place at Perleberg Zoo on Sunday. The 54-year-old victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and authorities said he was "seriously injured," the Evening Standard reported.

Police said the zookeeper was taken by surprise when one of the camels he was feeding turned toward him and bit him in his face. The identity of the victim was not revealed.

The zoo where the incident occurred is located in northern Germany between Berlin and Hamburg. It remains unclear as to what provoked the animal to attack the zookeeper.

The zoos in Germany are currently closed for the public due to the coronavirus restrictions.

While camels have a friendly appearance and calm nature, a study conducted in 2018 revealed these animals can sometimes be deceitful and aggressive. The study was published in the Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, entitled "Evaluation of Mating and the Causes of Noises at Night in Small Dromedary Camel Herds," media outlet the National News reported.

“Pretending and deception I’ve noticed only in camels,” Prof Mohamad Abdulmohsen, the first author of the study who has also studied the behavior of other large farm animals, said, the National News reported. “Other animals don’t pretend. They follow their needs in a straight way.”

The latest incident comes months after an animal keeper was attacked by a gorilla at a Madrid Zoo. During the September 2020 attack, the 46-year-old victim suffered a head injury, chest trauma with multiple fractures and two broken arms. She was rushed to the Madrid Clinical Hospital in a serious condition at the time.

"Given the event that occurred this morning with a gorilla keeper from the Madrid Zoo, we share our official note and our wishes for a speedy recovery for this worker," the zoo said in a statement at the time. "Upon entering a secure area with a triple door, the caretaker met Malabo, a 29-year-old male gorilla, who had accessed it. The reasons why the animal was able to access the area are being investigated internally. However, the judicial investigation will determine the exact details."