Page 50 - World of Animals - Issue #39

All about the common ostrich

Disappearing land

These tough birds may be strong enough to look after themselves, but what will
happen when humans leave them nowhere to go?
Ostrich populations are relatively widespread. They have the number of wild ostriches has been decreasing.
an extremely large range and are found throughout Alongside this, large expanses of ostrich habitat is being
much of Africa. This is, in part, due to their hardy lost at an alarming rate.
stomachs, their unfussy diet and an ability to go for As the human population grows, so does the demand
long periods of time without access to water. for resources, not to mention land for agricultural use
Although ostriches are not considered to be or homes. This encroachment means ostriches are not
endangered – or even vulnerable – their general able to roam as freely as they once did, and that can
population trend has been on the decline for some impact the species by restricting flock sizes and limiting

time now. Ostrich farming is now fairly common and reproductive success in the long term.
preserves the species in a captive sense, but wild The level of decline may not be alarming
ostriches are losing land fast. conservationists just yet, but humans are putting
It is unknown exactly how many ostriches remain in pressure on ostrich populations and it’s certainly
the wild, but hunting for meat and feathers has meant something to be monitored for the future.
“Hunting for meat and feathers has meant the number

of wild ostriches has been decreasing”

Ostriches and humans
Across Africa ostriches have played an important
part in human lives throughout history
In the wild ostriches tend to view humans as a threat and
will keep their distance. However, an increasing number
of ostriches are being kept in captivity for various reasons,
meaning more of the birds are coming into contact with
humans than ever before.
In the wild, approaching an ostrich would probably result
in the bird running away, but backed into a corner the
bird is more likely to feel threatened and attack. Although
generally peaceful, ostriches are notoriously aggressive
when they feel unsure of a situation, and this has been

noted o en in captive or domesticated populations.
There are three main reasons why people keep ostriches
in captivity: feathers, farming for meat, and racing.
Keeping birds alive and harvesting their feathers has been
a lucrative way for farmers to earn a living as they are able
to generate a crop of feathers every eight months while
keeping the bird alive. This has helped wild populations
immensely, reducing the perceived need to kill wild animals
for their feathers.
Racing is only really seen in Africa, with the exception of
tourist attractions in Florida. In Egypt, images of humans
riding ostriches have been found in ancient tombs, while
engraved eggshells from the Middle Stone Age have been
found in South Africa, suggesting ostriches were part of
human lives in 60,000 BP. Riding an ostrich is considerably

more diffi cult than riding a horse, even though they run at
roughly the same speed. People use specialist equipment
and saddles to do so and it is considered an important part
of traditional culture across many parts of Africa.

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