Man killed by camel at Mexico wildlife sanctuary
An American man has been killed by a camel that escaped its pen and sat on him at a wildlife sanctuary he owned in the Mexico beach resort of Tulum.
Richard Mileski, 60, originally from Chicago, was reportedly attacked by the animal, which kicked and bit him, before sitting on him.
Mr Mileski was found dead early on Monday.
Speaking to the NY Daily News, Antonio Gomez, a Tulum emergency services spokesman, said: "When we arrived, the people who were there said (the camel) got out of its stable and attacked him.
"It dragged him, climbed on top of him, was kicking him, biting him and sat on top of him."
Ranch employee Manuel Jesús Medina Aldana heard Mileski's cries for help, and after trying unsuccessfully to remove the animal, he used a rope to attach it to a truck and pull it off.
Mileski was still alive when he was carried to his home but died shortly after, reports the Mexico Daily News.
According to the NY Post, the dromedary, which is a type of camel predominantly from the Middle East and North Africa, was taken away by Mexico's federal agency of environmental protection, Profepa.
The attack took place at the Tulum Monkey Sanctuary, a three-acre reserve owned by Mr Mileski that rehabilitates monkeys rescued from the illegal pet trade or threatened by loss of habitat.
The sanctuary sits on land that is part of a 61-acre ranch not far from Tulum's hotel area, and opened in late 2012.
It's also home to other animals, including camels, and white-tailed deer, descendants of those Mileski rescued from an abusive rancher some years ago.
Mileski had been rescuing animals for over 15 years.
According to the Mexico Daily News, it is believed the camel might have been suffering with severe stress as it had been moved to the sanctuary from a circus in Merida.
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