The hump day camel rides held on Wednesday in the Rhatigan Student Center courtyard were meant to help de-stress students and provide an opportunity to ride camels, along with petting goats, chickens and a miniature pony. 

The activity was not without opposition.

An organization called the Wichita Animal Rights Meetup Group came to the event petitioning to ban the use of animals in student activities on the ground. The Wichita Animal Rights Meetup Group also protested, saying the animals were being exploited, and that the activity was not beneficial to animals’ health. 

Additionally, students in the group were unsatisfied with their student fees being used to support the hump day camel rides, as well as other activities that exploited animals.

“I think it’s a ridiculous way to spend student dollars for a novelty joke that isn’t funny,” Dominic Canare, a graduate student studying psychology, said. “I wish that we could find alternatives that surely exist to boost student morale that don’t require the exploitation of animals.” 

The United States Department of Agriculture inspected the handling of the camels and found they were being subjected to working in hot weather without shade and had no barriers separating them from the public. The report stated the camels “should be provided adequate shade to help protect against discomfort and overheating.” The USDA inspection report said the issue was corrected on the spot. 

The Student Activities Council, which organized the event, declined to comment in response to the protest.