Camel skirmish involves screaming, pushing, farting, and ankle biting

These camels at the Peterborough Zoo generally get along well. They live a stress free life, with lots of room to wander, lots of food to eat, and good care. In fact, the Peterborough Zoo is one of only two zoos in Ontario to receive a high evaluation score from Zoo Check, an organization that evaluates the conditions for animals in captivity in Canada.

A stress free environment is essential for animals to be able to cohabit and these two camels generally get along very well. But, as is always the case with any social animals, dominance and competitive behaviors do occasionally appear. On a mild spring day in May, the two camels began having a little skirmish. The male is a little larger and he seems to be the calmer of the two in this matter. The female began poking and biting at the male, apparently displeased about something. She lowered her head and began to bite his left front foot and ankle. He used his massive head to push her away and he stood calmly again. But after a few moments, she attacked his ankle again.

This time the male retaliates by seizing her left, rear foot in his teeth. It’s difficult to immediately see what he’s doing, but as we start to hear a scream, we can tell that one of them is in pain. Then we can see that the female has released her grip and it is her that is screaming. As she struggles to get up, we can briefly see that her rear foot is pulled free from his jaws. Surprisingly, she makes a few more attempts to get her head down near his ankles to bite him. As if his patience is wearing thin, he starts to push her forward and he uses his massive head to push hers down toward the ground.

All of this involves a whole lot of screaming, grunting, and even noises that sound like burps and farts. It’s impossible to chose one to cheer for in what seems like a domestic squabble. Luckily, peace was restored soon after and the two camels seemed to be enjoying each other’s company again. It’s even possible that this behavior was some sort of affection or courting.