In the early hours of November 3, a herd of camels wandered onto the Old Bridge across the Volga in Astrakhan, blocking both road and rail traffic. According to the regional branch of the Interior Ministry and the press office of the Volga Railway, the animals appeared on the bridge at around 1:20 a.m. local time.
Three highway patrol units were dispatched to the scene. Officers temporarily closed the bridge to cars and then set up alternating one-way traffic. Because some of the camels had also strayed onto the tracks between the Trusovo and Kutum stations, a loading crane had to be brought in to move them to safety.
The incident delayed passenger train No. 85, traveling from Derbent to Moscow, by 58 minutes. It resumed its journey at 1:39 a.m. Moscow time. By 4 a.m., road traffic on the bridge had been fully restored. Trains in the Astrakhan region are now running on schedule, according to the Volga Railway.
Local media reports and social media posts indicate that by morning the camels had been spotted in other parts of the city, on Boyevaya Street and in the courtyards of residential buildings. Police have identified the animals' presumed owner, who is expected to give an explanation. According to the Astrakhan regional Ministry of Agriculture, the camels may have come from neighboring Kalmykia. Veterinary officials and police are now rounding up the animals still roaming the streets so they can be sent home by truck.
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