/ 3 July 2007

Dead camel found on the roadside … in Sweden

Motorists in Sweden are accustomed to seeing elks along the roadside, but the discovery of a dead camel on the shoulder of the E22 autoroute left more than a few eyebrows raised, media reported on Monday.

“But as the police patrol arrived at the scene it turned out to be completely true,” police officer Lars Lindwall told Swedish news agency TT.

Police got the call during the night between Sunday and Monday and found the visibly injured animal dead by the roadside outside the southern Swedish town of Karlskrona.

“We believe that it was being transported on a trailer, and that it fell out and was dragged behind the vehicle on the roadway. When it became clear that the camel had fallen out it was probably just dumped” on the roadside, Lindwall said.

Police were seeking the owner of the camel and a police complaint for cruelty to animals has been filed. — AFP