Francois Hollande's Camel Eaten By Family In Timbuktu, Mali

Oops: French President's Camel Accidentally Cooked In Stew

Well, this is awkward.

According to reports, a family in Timbuktu has eaten Francois Hollande's camel. The young dromedary had been gifted to the French president in February by the people of Mali as a "sign of gratitude" after France's recent military action in the West African country.

Hollande jokingly said at the time that he intended to use the camel for transportation as much as possible.

Instead of immediately taking the animal back to Europe with him for safe care at a French zoo, Hollande had to leave the camel behind with a foster family over vaccination concerns and other bureaucratic red tape, reports The Telegraph.

After his departure, however, the animal was slaughtered and, writes The London Times, put in a stew.

The camel had been nothing but trouble for Hollande's embattled administration.

Soon after the president accepted the gift, a Malian refugee stepped forward, claiming the animal had been stolen from him, according to Al Arabiya. Worse still, The Telegraph reports the man's house may have been destroyed in a French air raid.

The camel can be heard (and briefly seen) interrupting Hollande during the gifting ceremony in the video, below:

Before You Go

Post-Intervention Mali

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