A beloved Delaware farm owner and lifelong animal lover was killed in a horrifying freak accident after one of his own camels fell on top of him.
Juan Caride, 65, was tending to the animal at his family’s farm in Felton last week when the camel suddenly toppled over and crushed him, according to Delaware State Police.
The injuries proved fatal.
Caride’s shocking death has devastated relatives and friends, who described him as a deeply loving man known for his devotion to his family, animals and local community.
In addition to running the 50-acre farm, Caride also owned a pawn shop in the area.
Torres Hector, a close friend whom Caride considered a brother, revealed that one of their final conversations ended with an emotional exchange.
“I love you,” Caride told him.
“I love you, too, papi,” Hector recalled replying.
The Caride family’s sprawling property is home to about 20 horses, nine donkeys and three camels named Bubbles, Chocolate and Batman.
Batman, the camel involved in the fatal accident, had been part of the family for years.
Juan’s wife, Toni Caride, raised the camels from the time they were calves. During a 2014 interview with Delaware Online, she described the animals as gentle and affectionate.
“They have really nice personalities,” Toni said at the time, calling them “loveable” animals that enjoyed being around people.
Starting the camel herd had originally been Juan’s idea.
The couple first brought Batman home when he was only about a week old. However, they quickly became concerned that the young camel might be lonely without other camels nearby.
“He was about a week old when we got him, and we felt that he was lonely,” Toni explained in the 2014 interview.
Juan then decided Batman needed companions.
“So, he said I better get a couple more for him,” Toni recalled. “So we went and found two females that were the same age and we got those for him.”
Years later, the animal Juan had once worried would be lonely was involved in the freak accident that claimed his life.
A tearful Hector remembered Juan and Toni as “real beautiful” people as loved ones struggled to come to terms with the devastating loss.
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