Frightened camel crosses the circus, injuring 6 children

Amy B. Wang | The Washington Post

The Pittsburgh Shrine Circus was supposed to be "THE PLACE OF PLEASURE!", According to heavy commercials that promised acrobats, an array of animals and a special appearance of the Marvel Comics legend.

«FIVE SPOTLIGHT: SPIDER-MAN, ELEPHANTS, TIGERS, A PIG CHANT, THE SMALLEST ELEPHANT IN THE WORLD, THE CHICAGO BOYZ, and MORE! "A LOT OF FUN FOR ALL!"

Camels, however, have never been so hypnotized. It appeared that the ungulates' main tasks at the sanctuary circus were to remain attached and to allow the children to walk during the intermission.

But it was the camels that made the headlines at the circus on Sunday, after one of the animals had been "scared" and started running around the arena, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 15:30. Sunday at PPG Paints Arena, in downtown Pittsburgh, during the break of the last performance of the circus in town for the year. Moments earlier, the scene was noisy but cheerful: at one end of the arena, children jumped into bouncy castles. Closer to the center, half a dozen ponies, attached to a rotating wheel, were waiting for the runners.

In another ring, a pair of camels – one wearing a blue blanket – was going for walks. Suddenly, one of the camels surprised and started beating, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesman Chris Togneri.

In a video of the incident, one could see a rider clinging to the covered camel's hump, the animal struggling violently as he was wending his way down the arena.

For a few seconds, the arena became a real circus, members of the audience screaming as the workers rushed to contain the renegade camel.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please – please stay calm," implored an advertiser. "No unnecessary movement."

A spectator recording the chaos on his mobile phone offered a direct assessment of the situation: "Dang."

Several witnesses told local media outlets that the camel was suddenly frightened because a child had thrown a shovel at his feet.

Jenny Lynch, who said she did not see what caused the camel, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that a woman and two girls were riding on the animal before she was surprised and she reacted " like a bronco.

"The woman clung to the smallest, and then fell on her head. . . The woman was trying so hard to keep the child, "Lynch told the newspaper. "I was screaming," Jesus is helping them. "It was very scary."

The authorities say that it is unclear what caused the camel to react as it did, but the rescuers already in the arena responded immediately.

"The drivers regained control of the camel within 11 seconds," Togneri said.

In total, one adult and six children were injured in the fray, he said. A child suffered a broken arm, the most serious injury; the adult and the five other children were slightly injured, he added.

None of the animals were injured, said Togneri. A veterinarian examined and allowed all animals, including the camel, to return to the arena.

In other words, the show continued.