Florida Woman Humped To Death

An owner of an exotic animal farm in Wewahitchka, Florida died after being kicked and then sat on by a camel. Cathie Ake and the 4-year-old camel were being filmed by a local television station when the camel kicked her and then sat down during a break in filming. The station was doing a story on Mini-Akers Exotic Animals, the 15-acre farm Ake owned with her husband.

Cathie Ake's husband, Donnie Ake, said he would find a new home for Polo, the camel. He believes the 1,800-pound animal was agitated by mating season. The couple bought the camel at an auction three weeks ago and kept him in a 50 foot by 80 foot pen. "My wife did a lot of [animal] rescue,'" Donnie Ake said. "She wouldn't let any animal suffer. We might not have had food in the house, but she made sure they also had something to eat.''

The reporter called 911 after Ake was trapped by the agitated camel. "To be honest with you, I don't think there's much that she could have done,'' said Gulf County Sheriff Dalton Upchurch. A deputy and paramedics moved the camel and recovered Cathie Ake's body. Donnie Ake said he believes his wife either suffocated or was crushed by the animal. The Akes started their exotic animal farm nearly 10 years ago.