Allan Balliett wrote: Hey, my OZ friends, do ostriches REALLY hide their heads in the sand?
If they do, how successful of a ploy it is? Hi! Allan, It may be better to ask some one in Africa, where the birds live in the wild. We used to have at least one feral population here, near Port Augusta, South Australia. Hundred years or more ago, flocks grown for women's hat feathers were turned loose when fashions changed. When the yuppie meat market opened up ten years or so ago, they were rounded up and farmed again. Now many of the ostrich farms are failing, so we may have more flocks turned out into the bush. Those farming our native Emu are also having a rough time. I have visited Ostrich farms many times and even killed, dressed and eaten them. I have never seen any behaviour, such as portrayed in Disney comics and films. They are actually very interested in any action and take much interest. On a friend's, he has wind breaks made of rows of the large round hay bales around his fence lines. The ostriches gather and peer over and watch every thing you do. It is strange to see the dozens of heads and necks, bobbing along. Of interest to me was to find that once an ostrich can not see, it becomes passive. To catch them, a draw string bag is fitted on a ring on a long handle. It is placed over the head and the string pulled. You approach the bird from behind, as they kick forward and side ways, with the strength to break a leg. If you grab the wing base, you can walk them around and handle them quite easily for the size. Gil
