On Monday night at First Methodist Church of Trussville, Hank the camel starred in the live Nativity scene, then drank some hot chocolate.

“That is the nicest camel in the world, and he drinks hot chocolate and eats marshmallows,” said the Rev. Steve Strange, pastor of First Methodist Church.

“My daughter gave him hot chocolate,” Strange said. “I got to feed him a marshmallow. That’s kind of what they give him as a treat.”

Hank is a six-year-old Bactrian camel who weighs 860 pounds. He may eat more than a dozen times a day, usually more nutritious food than marshmallows. But he does like a good marshmallow.

“He’s nothing but a spoiled brat,” said Wally Kornegay, who owns Lickskillet Acres in Adger, where he raises camels, miniature donkeys, fainting goats, sheep, turkeys, peacocks and emus.

“A little bit of everything, just because we’re stupid,” Kornegay said. “Hank earns his yearly keep in this one month.”

A Bactrian (two-hump) camel can live to be 40 to 50 years old, Kornegay said.

“Hank, turn your head,” Kornegay said, as visitors approach. “This lady wants a picture.”

Hank seems to like the attention. Children come up and rub their hands in his fur. Hank doesn’t seem to mind.

After Hank kneeled for awhile and let kids pet his shaggy forehead, Kornegay coaxed Hank to stand up for his admirers. He’s a very well-behaved camel, despite a somewhat bumpy reputation for the species.

“He’s had his attitude adjusted properly,” Kornegay said.

Hank rose to his feet and towered over the children. “You can see how tall he is,” Kornegay said.

After his gig at First Methodist in Trussville, Hank got a day off Tuesday. He’s scheduled to be back to work on hump day, though. He’ll be working the living Nativity at Mountain Brook Baptist Church on Wednesday at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. presentations, then again Thursday and Friday, Dec. 21-22.

Hank the camel helps put the Christmas story in perspective for the 150 to 200 people who stopped by the church on Monday night for the live Nativity that’s been an annual event in Trussville for more than 25 years, Strange said.

“Everything is so commercialized in today’s world,” Strange said. “It brings you back to the simplicity. You got the animals there, they’re eating, they’re just kind of hanging out. Everybody comes up and it gives them a visual of what’s going on. Christmas is a lot more simple than what we’ve made it.”