Ostrich struts its stuff in Allen street

An ostrich can run faster than 70km/h and covers 5 metres in a single stride.

This feat was witnessed by some residents travelling on Allen Street near Newcastle Mall this weekend after a runaway ostrich found its way into Newcastle.

The ostrich, which can cause fatal injuries to a human, found itself trapped in a world of fast cars and shocked onlookers as it pranced around the area looking for a way out.

Pound master, Loma Muyunda, speculated the ostrich came into town from one of the surrounding Newcastle farms.

“We were alerted to the matter through the municipal traffic department and pound officials were dispatched to the scene with the traffic department,” he said.

However, due to the dangers associated with the capture of the animal, and its precarious situation, officials were forced to guide the ostrich away from the crowded areas before attempting capture.

The ostrich had plans of its own, and bolted when it found itself in an area ideal for it to ‘take off’.

“We could not continue tracking it once it was out of the populated area, and it took off in the direction of some of the local farms,” continued Mr Muyunda.

He urged community members to ensure they reported cases such as these immediately to Protection Services, the traffic department, or pound directly, so as to avoid any resident injuries.

The pound can be contacted on 034 3313 008 Monday to Friday or 072 2258 665 and 078 9568 126 after hours.