Sometimes a simple twist of fate can change the course of a person’s – and in this case a camel’s – life. In 2015, while living in Florida, Robb Heering attended a country fair where he encountered a worker administering an injection to a baby camel at an animal petting zoo. When Heering inquired, he was told it was a sedative because the baby camel was stressed by all the visitors. Heering was aghast, but didn’t simply shake his head at the display of animal cruelty, he was driven to do something about it. Incredibly, he adopted the baby camel. Heering, who is extremely adept at research, went on a deep dive on how to care for a camel. “I even traveled to Dubai to meet with doctors at a camel hospital,” he says.
What transpired over the next ten years affected not only the lives of Heering, his wife Stephanie, and their sons, but thousands of other people. When Heering and his wife decided to move back to her hometown of Ridgefield, Sheik came too. Needless to say, the arrival of a camel made quite a stir.
Heering established One Hump Farm, where Sheik and eventually Humpfree (an alpaca) and Harry (a llama) would live. Heering also created International Camel Rescue to rehab, rescue, and rehome abused camels, alpacas and llamas.
During his time in Ridgefield, Sheik and One Hump Farm have welcomed visitors from near and far. “We’ve hosted so many people. Sheik was a very social camel,” says Heering.
This past February, Sheik unfortunately passed away, due to a rare meningeal parasite infection. Heering and a team of specialized veterinarians did all they could, but the infection proved too serious.
Heering says he has no plans for taking in another camel. “I was always meant to have not just any camel, but specifically, this camel, Sheik. He can’t be replaced in our hearts,” says Heering, who is committed to providing a safe sanctuary for Humpfree and Harry, as well as continuing his work with International Camel Rescue. •
