Ostrich attacks doctor

2006-01-03 22:02

Jackie Kruger

George - A doctor from Oudtshoorn had to know how to pedal on New Year's Eve when an ostrich in rut flew at him on a mountain bike route winding through a game reserve at the Klein Brak River.

Dr Jaco Jordaan, 38, and his wife Lorette, 36, were both participating in the Grabadoo mountain bike, road bike and walk/run event when they rode through an ostrich camp at the Botlierskop Game Reserve.

Bystanders said the ostrich had apparently been standing around all morning, looking curiously at the cyclists.

Jordaan said the ostrich "suddenly" attacked her husband about 20m metres before the gate of this camp. "I saw the ostrich standing there. All at once he darted straight at Jaco. I got such a fright, perhaps because I saw everything happening.

"He kicked Jaco on the calf - luckily it was not serious. I think I got a bigger fright than my husband,"' she told Die Burger on Tuesday.

Ostriches protect their territory

She said matters could have turned out very differently. "Ostriches are wild birds and I don't think people realise how dangerous they can be. They can easily run up to anyone on a bicycle, which is lower than the ostrich," Jordaan said.

The couple are keen cyclists. Except for this incident, the event was "fantastic", Jordaan added.

Mimi du Plessis of Emint - the event organisers - said someone had told her it was a "red-heeled ostrich".

"I only found out later what that meant - the ostrich, apparently a male, was in rut."

An employee of the Klein Karoo group's ostrich research centre in Oudtshoorn said the ostrich breeding season was nearly over. The ostrich chicks ought to hatch by the end of January.

"Ostriches protect their territory and can become fairly aggressive if they fell threatened."

"Ostriches usually try to push their victims over to tread on them, or kick them. They can injure a person badly and cause ugly bruises," he said.

Du Plessis said participants expected the organisers to offer them something "different", hence the popularity of the route.

"We'll bear the incident in mind when we plan this year's route," she said.

- Die Burger