While it’s not unusual for firefighters to be summoned to help animals in distress, the call that came in on Saturday afternoon ranks as one of the strangest they’ve seen, according to firefighters who responded.

They were called to an area on the side of Browns Bridge Road to help two camels who had become trapped in the rails on the side of the trailer in which they were riding. 

A passing motorist had flagged down the driver, who stopped and called the fire department for assistance. 

According to reports on the scene, the truck was on its the way to a live nativity scene at Corinth Baptist Church in northern Hall County. 

The driver had just stopped to check on the animals a few miles earlier, and they were fine. 

When firefighters arrived, they found two camels, each with a leg sticking out through the metal slats that form the side of the trailer. 

They used a hydraulic spreader to widen the gap between the slats, allowing the legs to slide free. 

The petting zoo employees stopped in a nearby parking area to check on the animals before continuing on their way to the church.