Runaway Camel Bites 72-Year-Old Man After Escape From Southern California Pen

Friday turned out to be Hump Day for residents in a community north of Los Angeles after a camel escaped its pen

The owner of a camel that bit at least one person after it escaped from its pen north of Los Angeles was not permitted to have the animal on the property and might be cited after Friday morning's attack, according to authorities.

The camel escaped from a property in Acton, an unincorporated community about 50 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, and attacked at least one person in the East Soledad Canyon area (map). The victim received medical treatment for a bite wound.

After calls from at least two concerned residents, firefighters and deputies responded and captured the runaway camel. It was returned to its pen before  animal services officers arrived, placed a leash around its neck and transported the animal in a trailer.

The victim, identified as a man in his 70s, needed stiches after he was bitten and kicked.

"My dad tried to corral it, and it attacked my dad," said the victim's daughter. "It jumped on him and bit him."

The owner could be cited for endangering residents, sheriff's officials said.

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