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Saanich police forced to shoot 2 ostriches on loose

Kim Westad
Victoria Times Colonist

November 2, 2005

VICTORIA -- Central Saanich police officers had to deal with two 135-kilo (300-pound) ostriches on the loose Halloween night.

Two birds escaped from their pen after their owners say two sets of gates were intentionally pinned open by vandals.

Both birds had to be shot.

"They run about 50 miles an hour -- imagine if one had hit a car," said Joan Fleming, one of the owners of the Saanichton Christmas Tree and Ostrich Farm from where the birds escaped. "It just makes you feel sick that someone would do something like this."

"They are living dinosaurs," said Fleming's brother Michael who also owns the birds. "They've been in this form for 200 million years and are the largest birds in the world."

Police spotted one bird on a West Saanich Road about 10:50 p.m. and followed it for about a kilometre until they could guide it to a field, where it lay down. Not being trained in ostrich capture, which can be dangerous, police called the owner.

But Michael Fleming, who is trained in ostrich capture, was out of town. With no one available to deal with the bird, and because of the potential public danger, the owners asked for it to be put down.

The second bird was found Tuesday morning near the farm. It had a badly broken foot and the owners also asked for it, too, to be shot.
© The Vancouver Sun 2005