The escape of a pair of adventurous camels from the Cedar Point petting zoo this week may have been amusing to those who witnessed the spectacle, but it has led to calls from an animal rights group for a federal investigation.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture – which oversees such petting zoos – to investigate Kentucky’s Honey Hill, which supplies the camels and other animals that call Cedar Point’s Barn Yard home to call.
“No one should be surprised that distressed camels panicked and ran, hoping to escape a near-constant, chaotic barrage of excessive behavior, noisy roller coasters and screaming park visitors,” said Debbie Metzler, Senior Director, Captive Animal Welfare from the PETA Foundation. rack. “PETA is calling on federal authorities to hold Honey Hill Farm accountable for failing to protect these frightened animals – and members of the public who were put at risk during their escape attempts.”
Honey Hill, which also provides animals for similar attractions at other amusement parks including Michigan’s Adventure, Worlds of Fun and Camden Park, had not yet publicly responded to the complaint or a request for comment.
The farm posted a photo of a pair of camels in prison uniforms with the caption “Bad boys, bad boys. Whatcha going to do” on its Facebook page.
In its formal complaint, PETA asks federal investigators to visit the park and ensure that the camels are in good health and were not injured in the accident.
The park’s two camels – Sampson and Artie – took an unauthorized hike along the Frontier Trail Tuesday evening.
Several videos were posted to social media showing stunned park visitors seeing the pair walking through the Frontier-themed area.
Park officials say the mischievous camels were rounded up by workers and no one was injured during the escape.
This article originally appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal: PETA calls for USDA investigation after camels escape near Cedar Point
