Two dromedary camels escaped Cedar Point’s petting-zoo attraction in Sandusky, Ohio, on June 11, 2024, and wandered near amusement-park visitors. Video showed one camel swinging or lifting its legs close to a guest, but no injuries were reported. A later USDA inspection found problems with public barriers, supervision, and fencing at the attraction operated by Honey Hill Farm.
Two dromedary camels escaped Cedar Point’s petting-zoo attraction in Sandusky, Ohio, on June 11, 2024, and wandered near amusement-park visitors. Cellphone video showed one camel swinging or lifting its legs close to a guest, including a visitor using a motorized wheelchair. Visitors moved away from the animals, but there were no reported injuries.
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The camels—identified in multiple reports as Sampson and Artie—were quickly returned to The Barnyard, the petting-zoo area on Cedar Point’s Frontier Trail near Millennium Force. The incident was initially described by the park as an “unplanned stroll.” A later federal inspection provided a more specific account of how the animals got out.
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What happened when the Cedar Point camels escaped?
Video recorded on June 11 showed the two camels walking through the park near guests and the Millennium Force area. In one widely shared clip, a camel approached a person in a motorized wheelchair and appeared to swing or kick its legs nearby. Other visitors fled, sheltered, or moved out of the animals’ path.
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The footage supports describing the encounter as frightening and potentially dangerous, but it does not establish that the camel struck anyone. Reports from UPI, ABC News, Audacy, and Cleveland-area television outlets said no injuries were reported.
How did the camels get out?
Cedar Point initially said it was investigating how the camels reached the midway. A June 27, 2024, inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service later documented a likely immediate mechanism: inadequate public barriers allowed a visitor to enter the animal area and release the camels.
That finding comes from the USDA inspection report and should not be confused with an independently documented observation of the escape itself. The report also identified a separate fencing problem in an area housing goats, llamas, and alpacas. Broken wires and an opening approximately 1 foot high by 3 feet wide left the fence in disrepair and created potential risks of injury, entrapment, or escape.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe USDA report did not, by itself, prove that the damaged fence caused the camel escape. Its description of the camel release concerned inadequate public barriers around the primary enclosure.
A separate goat escape happened days later
The camel incident was followed by another escape at The Barnyard. On June 15, around 15 goats got out of the attraction. Later reports attributed that incident to animals getting through a hole in a fence.
After the goat escape, Cedar Point said it had contacted Honey Hill Farm, the mobile petting-zoo operator associated with the attraction, about corrective actions. The park said 24-hour surveillance of the area was planned.
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What did the USDA inspection find?
The USDA inspection cited three substantive compliance concerns at the facility operated by Honey Hill Farm:
- Inadequate public barriers: A visitor could enter animal areas and release the camels.
- Insufficient supervision: A responsible, knowledgeable, readily identifiable employee was not present during public contact with the animals.
- Damaged fencing: Fencing was not maintained in good repair, including broken wires and an unintended opening in one animal area.
The report listed July 1, 2024, as the correction date for the cited deficiencies. In August, PETA publicized the USDA findings, and Cleveland 19 reported that the agency had issued three citations to Honey Hill Farm owner Sally Powell in connection with the camel and goat escapes.
Did the camel kick or attack a guest?
“Kicked at guests” is a dramatic shorthand used in some headlines and social-media descriptions. More precise descriptions are that the camel appeared to swing or kick its legs near a guest, or charged toward people as visitors tried to get out of its path.
There is no verified evidence in the reviewed reporting that a guest was struck. The available reports characterized the event as a near-miss or frightening encounter, not a confirmed attack, and said no injuries were reported.
What Cedar Point and PETA said
Cedar Point spokesman Tony Clark called the escape an “unplanned stroll” and said the camels were quickly returned. The park said it was investigating how they reached the midway. Following the later goat escape, Cedar Point said it was working with Honey Hill Farm on additional oversight, including 24-hour surveillance.
PETA requested the USDA investigation and later emphasized the inspection findings in its public statements. Claims from PETA about animal distress, exploitation, or the broader ethics of captive-animal entertainment are advocacy positions and should be distinguished from the USDA’s documented facility deficiencies.
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What visitors should do around an escaped camel
Anyone who encounters an escaped camel or another large animal at a park should avoid approaching, touching, feeding, or attempting to block the animal. Move away without provoking it, put solid barriers and distance between yourself and the animal when possible, and follow directions from park staff or emergency personnel. Visitors should also report the animal’s location to staff rather than trying to return it themselves.
For Cedar Point, the documented follow-up went beyond the viral video: the USDA inspection raised questions about enclosure access, staff presence during public contact, and fence maintenance. Those findings help explain why the incident became more than an unusual moment caught on camera.
Incident timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| June 11, 2024 | Two camels escaped The Barnyard and were filmed near Cedar Point visitors. |
| June 12–13, 2024 | Cedar Point confirmed the incident publicly; videos and witness accounts spread online. No injuries were reported. |
| June 15, 2024 | About 15 goats escaped from the Barnyard area. |
| June 27, 2024 | A USDA APHIS inspection documented inadequate barriers, insufficient supervision, and damaged fencing. |
| August 12, 2024 | PETA publicized the inspection findings, and Cleveland 19 reported three citations involving Honey Hill Farm. |
Bottom line: Sampson and Artie did escape Cedar Point’s petting-zoo enclosure and moved among park visitors, with video showing one camel swinging its legs near a guest. The camels were returned quickly and no injuries were reported. The later USDA inspection found inadequate public barriers, a lack of clearly identifiable supervision, and fencing problems at the attraction’s operating facility.
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Did the Cedar Point camel injure anyone?
No. Reports reviewed after the June 11, 2024, escape said no injuries were reported. Video showed a camel appearing to swing or kick its legs near a guest, but it did not verify that anyone was struck.
How did the camels escape Cedar Point’s enclosure?
The USDA APHIS inspection report said inadequate public barriers allowed a visitor to enter the animal area and release the camels. The report separately documented a damaged fence in an area housing goats, llamas, and alpacas, but did not prove that fence caused the camel escape.
Did other animals escape Cedar Point’s petting zoo?
Yes. About 15 goats escaped from the Barnyard area on June 15, 2024, four days after the camel incident. Later reports attributed that escape to a hole in a fence.
The Bottom Line
Two camels escaped Cedar Point’s Barnyard attraction on June 11, 2024, and one appeared to swing its legs near a guest. The animals were quickly returned, no injuries were reported, and a later USDA inspection cited inadequate barriers, insufficient supervision, and damaged fencing. The inspection attributed the camel release to a visitor gaining access to the animal area; it did not establish that the separate damaged goat-area fence caused the camel escape.
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