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Investigators are trying to establish whether a camel that killed a man at a wildlife park attacked him over a can of Coke.

The animal kicked and bit the sanctuary's owner Richard Mileski, before sitting on him.

One line of inquiry is that Mileski usually gave the camel Coke to drink, but had refused to do so before he was attacked on Monday at the Tulum Monkey Sanctuary in Mexico.

Mr Mileski, from Chicago, died on Tuesday.

(Image: Facebook / Tulum Monkey Sanctuary)

Tulum civil defence official Alberto Canto said: "The camel kicked and bit him practically to death, and when he was almost dead, he sat on him.

"Between the blows and the weight of the camel on top of him, he was asphyxiated."

He said one version of events was that Mr Mileski "would always give him a Coca-Cola to drink, and apparently, that day he didn't give him the Coca-Cola."

The sanctuary said on its Facebook page: "Richard lost his life caring for one of the animals that he has dedicated the last 15 year of his life to saving."

Mexican authorities have reportedly issued a seizure order for the camel.