Originally published June 17, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 17, 2007 at 2:03 AM

Alaska camel death likely due to head injury

A necropsy shows that the death of the Alaska Zoo's new camel was likely due to head trauma, officials said. Knobby, a year-old male, died...

By The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A necropsy shows that the death of the Alaska Zoo's new camel was likely due to head trauma, officials said.

Knobby, a year-old male, died in his pen May 10.

The zoo refused to publicly release a copy of the report on Knobby's death. Zoo spokeswoman Eileen Floyd said that "we'll never know" what caused the trauma.

The two-humped Bactrian camel arrived at the Anchorage zoo from Minnesota in March.

On the morning of May 10, an employee fed and walked Knobby and the animal seemed fine, said zoo director Pat Lampi. A visitor found the camel dead about an hour later.

Lampi said foul play is not suspected: "[Knobby] is 500 pounds, so I just can't believe anybody would approach him."

The zoo plans to replace Knobby with another camel bred at the Minnesota Zoo.

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