Would you want to pet a camel? I have no experience with camels. A camel kills two near a petting zoo.

Yes I would pet a camel. But I would also give it the same respect that I give any animal. I always feel bad for animals in petting zoos as not everyone is nice to them. The camel may have been provoked one too many times. We had a rabbit at fair one time that we had to block off her cage. People think its fine to let their kids poke their fingers in the cages at the small animals. She was tired of it the first day and said so. Rabbit teeth are very sharp.

Camels do not spit, lama spit. Any large animal is potentially dangerous. Camels bite and have killed people in the past, but they are not belligerent or murderous. If this camel attacked there was a reason, may be the camel had been abused by humans. I rode a camel in Morocco, unpleasant!

Don't know if the story is real but it sounds like the camel may have been provoked. For myself, I really don't have any desire to pet a camel. But I do treat animals with respect. And they do deserve that from all.

My father told me that camels spit smelly gobs and they themselves smell, so no, I wouldn't want to pet one. He also said they bite.

Years ago, when Pretty was little, we rode a camel and an elephant at the Springfield Zoo. (Riding the elephant scared me a little. I'm scared of heights. The camel wasn't the best smelling animal and the ride was odd, but I've always ridden horses, so the swaying from side to side was a bit difficult to get used to.)

@TheHorse - I have taken my children on camel rides at petting zoos. I was horrified when I heard about this incidence. You never think something like that could happen!

Long ago I rode one at a zoo. I have been spit at by them. I have petted them at a petting zoo with a sturdy fence between us. I just wonder what provoked this one.

A camel is too large for me as a pet. That's no possible for me to raise it.

They are wild animals, and like any animal, they can strike out for whatever reason. I don't know, honestly.

I have a rule. I do a separate search and see if the story exists on other media. If all the results are linked to a single story, I'll look for local news from the location of the event. If I can't find other sources, I'm likely to question the story. If the story is reported in dozens of accounts by media outlets, it's likely I'll accept it. This aol story is all over. It's a shame that it's even necessary to double check stories. Credibility has been lost by the media. We have been betrayed. I pet a camel once and I'm good. I don't care if I ever see another one.

It could easily be real. I saw one go berserk in a pen at a show here. They can be very dangerous. The one I saw was trying to take a carrot from a girl but the girl kept backing off. I guess the camel thought it was being teased.

Animals come with their peculiar behaviour. If you befriend a camel , he can be your friend.

It sounded like a real story even though I have never seen a camel in real life in my lifetime.

Two people were killed. Very sad. I would pet a camel except that I wouldn't want to be spit on.

I have been around camels and have petted one, I think someone would have to really provoke a camel for something so terrible to happen,