The residents and travelers of the city of Seongnam, on the outskirts of Seoul, South Korea, witnessed an unusual event when an ostrich, known as a tadori, He was seen walking freely in traffic on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. and caused surprise and astonishment among those who witnessed the scene.
According to Korea Herald reports Tadori managed to escape from the local eco-park by finding a narrow space between the fences of his enclosure. This event came after the death of its mate Tasuni last month, which had caused the bird to show signs of stress and aggression.
여러가지 생각이 든다. pic.twitter.com/2IGeqAwOoa
– EUN YOO 은유 (@eunyoo_park) March 26, 2024
After walking freely through the streets for almost an hour, The ostrich was eventually caught near a storage building in Sangdaewon-dongSeongnam, around 10:25 a.m. Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the capture and the ostrich only suffered minor bruises on its legs, which were treated after returning to the zoo.
As a species, the ostrich is considered the largest and heaviest living bird on the planet and is known for its powerful running ability. It can reach speeds of 48 to 70 kilometers per hour, but its natural habitat requires a lot of space to move around, Therefore it is unsuitable for keeping as a pet.
This incident in Seongnam is not the first of its kind. In January 2021, another ostrich escaped from a private zoo in Karachi, Pakistan, and was found running on local streets before being returned to its enclosure.
Images and videos of ostriches escaping their enclosures and venturing into urban areas are not uncommon around the world and have sparked debates about the welfare of wild animals in captivity, particularly in zoos and animal parks. Some animal rights activists advocate sending these species back to their natural habitats rather than keeping them in captivity.
dmr