If you visit Oudtshoorn in the Karoo , South Africa, and if you dare, you could try to sit on an ostrich, ride the ostrich and perhaps even take part in an "Ostrich Derby" not for the faint hearted.
If you visit Oudtshoorn in the Karoo, South Africa, and if you dare, you could try to sit on an ostrich, ride the ostrich and perhaps even take part in an "Ostrich Derby" not for the faint hearted!
Oudtshoorn is famous for its huge ostrich population, which thrive in the semi-desert conditions. Ostriches are the tallest living birds on the planet. The Ostrich is a large, flightless bird - the largest living bird on earth. When fully grown it weighs over kg pounds. Ostrich have long necks, small heads, large eyes, long, powerful legs, and two toes on each foot. Ostriches have great vision and because of their strong legs can run at 70 km per hour.
Ostriches are inquisitive birds that will peck anyone or anything. You will certainly feel the peck but it doesn't hurt. But, be cautioned, beware of their claws! They kick forward, not backward, and their claws are sharp enough to inflict wounds.
Especially the males who become aggressive as they get older. The males are black with white plumes while the females are brown. First, a cloth bag will be placed over its head. This calms it down and makes it easier for the ostrich to be guided where it needs to go. Place the wings of your legs and get ready! Curious about what the experience will look like?
Although ostriches cannot fly , they are extremely fast, especially when you consider the fact that their odd body shapes should make them less than expedient! However, they have super long legs and can run at a maximum speed of 43 miles per hour though there are some sources that say it can briefly reach speeds of 50 miles per hour , too.
Plus, it can maintain its speed not quite 43 miles per hour, but almost over lengthy distances. Ostriches use their wings to help them steer and become balanced at high speed. Plus, they have long, elastic legs that help them balance and accelerate. Have fun! The experience of riding an ostrich is completely different as compared to riding a horse.
In riding an ostrich there is no requirement of the saddle or any other equipment that helps in better control and ride. Using equipment like a saddle can cause a little discomfort to the bird, in such a case the bird may become furious and may cause some trouble to the rider. A frightened ostrich can be very dangerous and lethal to anyone who tries to come in contact with it. Ostriches are very intuitive and can easily feel irritated, offended, or frightened when reached by a stranger.
In such cases, they may turn violent and can hurt you badly. There are high chances that you may make the bird uncomfortable while trying to ride it and this can make the bird furious, a furious ostrich can run pretty fast and may give you a solid kick.
Ostriches are known to kill human beings with their kicks throughout history. So, it is not advised to ride an ostrich as it can turn pretty dangerous for you. To give you a better idea, ostriches are even known to kill lions, tigers, and other bigger animals with their strong kick. Yes, you can be killed by an ostrich. Ostriches have very long, strong, and dangerous legs, if you get ripped down under them while riding, there are higher chances that you may suffer a blow from these birds leading to death.
Even ostriches are pretty good when it comes to kicking, an ostrich kick is having the potential to kill a human being. They are pretty dangerous birds and can be fatal. Riding an ostrich is cruel on a humanitarian basis, you should avoid riding these birds to exempt them from pain and trouble. In many countries, ostrich riding is considered illegal and is banned.
This tends to be in countries like South Africa, particularly in the Oudtshoorn area. It is less popular now, but still an activity that is available to tourists. As with any tourist activity that involves animals, ostrich riding comes with many questions surrounding the ethics and morals. Ostriches are beautiful, majestic creatures and — with all animals — do not exist purely for human entertainment.
Ostriches are actually not built to take the weight of a human being: ostriches are birds, not mammals, and there is just no circumstance in the wild in which they would have to withstand such a weight on their backs. Ostrich riding farms do put a weight limit on guests who want to ride an ostrich, but there is an argument for not riding them at all. Their bone structure will weaken over time as they continually put up with this weight, and on top of this the ostriches will likely be in pain.
Pain makes people grumpy, and animals feel this too. If you put stress and physical pain on an ostrich, it is likely to turn violent and vicious. When frightened, ostriches can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour. They can also give quite a hefty kick — they have been known to kill lions in the past just by kicking them in fear. On top of the risk of attack, ostrich riding can be dangerous due to those high speeds. There is always the chance you could fall off and injure yourself while riding an ostrich.
It is safer all around to just avoid this activity! Cash encountered an aggressive male ostrich several times during his walks in the woods in On one occasion, Cash brandished a 6-foot stick and swung it at the bird, who dodged the swipe and slashed at Cash with its foot.
The Association of British Travel Agents is a group you will likely have heard of. ABTA is there to ensure certain standards are withheld when it comes to travelling and especially package holidays. ABTA provides guidance for its members and their suppliers.
This ensures that ABTA travel providers will not sell animal attractions such as ostrich riding. The upholding of these standards and guidelines is how you know an ABTA-protected holiday is safe for everybody involved. As visitors fall out of love with the idea, less and less farms actually offer the option to ride ostriches now.
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