Keepers were working in a large stall with two newly-arrived, energetic, young Bactrian camels. The camels were frisking around the stall, bouncing around in that characteristic rolling camel gait. One of the keepers, whose foot was extremely sore from a recent injury, didn’t notice that one of the youngsters was frolicking in his direction until it tromped soundly on his sore foot. He let out a loud yell and, reacting instinctively, lashed out and punched the animal on the side of the head. The camel dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes and lay still.
The keepers first thought, quite naturally, was that the animal was dead, and after a moment of shock, they rushed to its side. Its breathing, however, was normal, and in a minute or two it recovered enough to lift its head and look around. Not long after that, to the keepers’ relief, the camel got to its feet — a little groggy but otherwise apparently none the worse for the wear.