7 1/2-foot camel, fixture in Agua Dulce community, killed by driver

Sheba, a roughly 7 ½-foot tall camel, was a fixture in the rural community of Agua Dulce.

The one-hump, or dromedary, camel and her handler, Robin Orefice, often strolled along the dusty roads, greeting residents and waving at passing drivers. It was not uncommon to the see the nearly 2,000-pound animal at local fundraisers and school events, even the country fair.

“Everyone in town knows the camel,” said Robin’s husband, Michael Orefice.

Robin Orefice, an exotic animal and horse trainer, was preparing to show Sheba at this Saturday’s Agua Dulce County Fair and Parade.

She and her son, Sam, took Sheba out for a stroll about 6:17 p.m. Thursday along the parade route on Agua Dulce Road.

Everything seemed to be going well until the mother and son saw a driver in a Toyota pickup truck heading toward them.

They waved and screamed, hoping to get the driver’s attention, hoping he would stop.

Instead, the pickup truck barreled toward them and rammed into the camel, according to the California Patrol Highway. The CHP said the 25-year-old driver was traveling at an unsafe speed. The impact of the crash left the pickup truck severely damaged.

The camel moved its’ body in such a way that it shielded the mother and son, who weren’t seriously injured.

“She protected both of us, and I don’t really know why,” Orefice said.

The crash left the camel with severe injuries to her legs and right shoulder. Orefice said she was left with no choice but euthanasia for her beloved pet.

She said she is devastated.

Orefice had spent years training the camel, working to break the animal’s bad habits and antisocial behavior.

When she first met the camel, Sheba’s former owner told her the animal could not be trained or ridden and didn’t trust people. She would typically try to kick and bite.

Orefice said she thought, “Well, there’s the perfect camel for me.”

It was a rough start, but eventually Sheba warmed up to her new owner. The camel was smart, she said.

Soon Orefice gained the animal’s trust and started riding her.

“It’s hard with a camel,” she said. “It takes a lot to build trust, but you just love on them.”

To her grieving owner, the 10- to 12-year-old camel was family and things just won’t be the same without her.

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