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Emirati Man Arrested For Stealing Rare Baby Camel To Give To Girlfriend For Her Birthday

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Gabrielle Temaat Contributor
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Emirati police arrested a man in Dubai who allegedly stole a valuable baby camel to give to his girlfriend as a birthday present, The Associated Press reported.

Earlier this month, the baby camel’s owners reported the theft, leading to a search by Dubai police, according to the AP. A few days later, an Emirati man almost 2 miles away notified authorities that a camel had appeared on his farm.

When the police arrived at the man’s property, they were skeptical of his story, as a main road separated the farm where the camel belonged and his own, and the distance was too far for a newborn camel to walk, Gulf Today reported.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 03: Robotic jockeys control camels during the Liwa Sports Festival at Moreeb Dune on January 3, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 03: Robotic jockeys control camels during the Liwa Sports Festival at Moreeb Dune on January 3, 2017 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

After being interrogated by police, the man admitted to trespassing onto his neighbor’s farm to steal the animal. The camel was of a rare breed and he wanted it for his girlfriend. After struggling to wrangle an adult camel, he settled for a baby, AP reported. The man then became concerned about being caught and reported that the camel had wandered onto his property. (RELATED: Saudi Arabia Disqualifies A Bunch Of Camels From A Beauty Contest For Using Botox)

The man was arrested for theft and making a false statement, according to the AP.

Camel racing is a popular event in the United Arab Emirates and the periodic camel beauty pageant attracts traders who pay millions of dollars for rare breeds, AP reports.