WASHINGTON — A man is in the hospital after he was trampled and bitten by a camel on Friday afternoon before a scheduled circus performance at the Charles County Fairgrounds, in La Plata.
Fairgrounds president J.T. Hindle said the man was the camel’s handler in the South Carolina-based Lewis and Clark Circus.
Bill Smith, with the Charles County Volunteer Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said the camel was being unloaded from a horse trailer when it trampled and bit the handler at about 2:30 p.m.
He was airlifted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious injuries to his head and legs, Smith said.
Shows were scheduled for Friday afternoon and evening, but they’ve been canceled. County spokeswoman Donna Fuqua said the circus was issued a stop-work order Thursday after failing to obtain an event permit.
The circus was scheduled for two shows Thursday.
WTOP’s Anna Isaacs contributed to this report.
