A UPenn fraternity is under fire after a student took pictures of a camel they allegedly used during a party.
Kahn the Camel of the Peaceable Kingdom petting zoo in Bucks County made an appearance at a frat party for Zeta Psi last week.
The fraternity has hired animals from the zoo for the last five years. Controversy began however, after a Penn student took pictures of the camel lying down while surrounded by several women with drinks in their hands.
George Leslie, a Post-doctoral fellow at Penn’s School of Medicine, wrote a letter to the The Daily Pennsylvanian in addition to taking the pictures.
“It was, at the very least, exploitative and thoughtless treatment, if not animal cruelty,” wrote Leslie.
“I can’t help but wonder, did the Zeta Psi brothers really think that a camel would like being stepped on by drunk sorority sisters or enjoy having beer spilled on its head?”
Charis Matey, co-owner of the Peaceable Kingdom, insists that the camel was not abused.
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According to philly.com, Matey claims that members of her staff and several non-drinking students supervised the camel.
She also says that the fact the camel was lying down rather than growling and kicking indicated that the animal was not upset.
Matey’s animals have visited nursing homes and charity events across the region.
Philly.com also reports that Matey claims to be licensed as an exhibitor with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which inspects her animals.
In spite of this, Matey will reportedly no longer work with the fraternity, for fear that those who are against the school’s use of her animals will try to ruin her business.
As for Zeta Psi, philly.com says that Penn’s director of fraternity and sorority affairs will investigate the incident.
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