When Dr. Marc McAllister does traditional prostatectomies at Mid-Columbia Medical Center, he works directly over the patient, through a long lower abdomen incision. But since July, he’s had another option: sitting at a console 10 feet away from the patient, peering through a high-def 3D monitor as he manipulates the four intricately maneuverable robotic arms of the da Vinci surgical system—one with cameras—which access the patient through pinpoint incisions.

It’s not every day that a camel is seen on the streets of The Dalles, so the presence of “Calypso” on Monday drew plenty of attention from passing motorists. “I’ve seen them in zoos but this close is pretty cool,” said Rowan Hopkins, 13, who fed the camel a treat that earned instant friendship.