Ostriches attempt to evade police after escaping Canadian enclosure

About 20 ostriches escaped from their enclosure in Alberta, Canada, and attempted to run away from police who were in pursuit of the birds.

Footage filmed by a witness on Thursday shows a police car driving up to an ostrich running down the road. A passenger in the vehicle then reaches out to grab the animal by its neck but is unable to hold on. The ostrich briefly falls to the ground before it begins to run away.

Animal websites recommend grabbing an ostrich by its neck to force it down and prevent it from pecking, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

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The Taber Police Service said members of the police force and its regional community standards unit dealt with the ostriches, and that traffic hazards were created by the birds on their way out of town. The police service assisted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to confine the ostriches, so the animals’ owners could safely capture them.

The escaped ostriches all belong to the same person.

Most of the ostriches were captured on Thursday, but RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Troy Savinkoff told CBC that efforts were still being exhausted to secure the rest of them.

RCMP often assists in capturing horses and cattle but does not expect to respond to ostriches on the loose.

“Ostrich certainly is something that we’re very much less familiar with, and I can confirm that particular investigator who received their first report did not anticipate chasing ostriches during that shift,” Savinkoff said.

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One of the ostriches being pursued was hit by a car and died after it escaped its enclosure.

Ostriches are the fastest-running bird in the world, able to travel continuously at speeds of 30 to 37 miles per hour and can sprint up to 43 miles per hour, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.