Pet camel kills woman in Australian outback

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SYDNEY (AFP) - A pet camel given as a birthday present killed a 60-year-old woman in Australia's remote outback in a bizarre attack, police said Sunday.

The young male camel had been hand-reared by the woman and still drank out of a bottle, but had a history of unusual behaviour and had previously attempted to smother the family's pet goat by sitting on it.

Police said the 10-month-old animal on Saturday knocked the woman to the ground, stomped on her head and then lay on her at her sheep and cattle property near Mitchell in Queensland state, about 600 kilometres (360 miles) west of the state capital Brisbane.

The woman's husband found her body in the evening on returning from feeding stock and was devastated, police said.

"The camel was actually a 60th birthday present that he and his daughter got her in March," said Detective Senior Constable Craig Gregory from the nearby town of Roma.

"She had a love of exotic pets."

Camel expert Paddy McHugh said the behaviour was unusual for such a young animal and was more characteristic of a bull in season, which might use such behaviour to kill its opposition.

The woman's name has not been released.

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