Number 7-Tienie Van Wyk Tienie Van Wyk might have grown up on an ostrich
farm, but that didn’t stop him from being on the receiving end of a terrifying attack.
Van Wyk, who works as an engineer in Brakpan, South Africa, was heading toward a borehole
with a group of fellow workers.
Out of nowhere, a large ostrich jumped in front of the group.
Since he had experience dealing with this type of bird, Van Wyk took charge of the situation.
He yelled at people to stay back, and not to attempt running away.
He knew an angry ostrich would follow whoever moved too suddenly.
He began to slowly back away, without turning his back on the large bird.
Unfortunately, it did not work.
The wild animal seemed ready to attack, clearly intimidated or angered by the intrusion on
its territory.
The ostrich tackled the engineer to the floor and stomped him.
The horrified witnesses tried shouting at the bird to get it to leave.
These attempts eventually worked, but the wild ostrich pecked and kicked at Van Wyk
before making a quick escape.
Since he managed to grab at the ostrich’s neck during the attack, the injuries he endured
were minor.
The event shook up the group, but Van Wyk didn’t require hospitalization.
What Is It?
The ostrich is a type of flightless bird that belongs to the same family as kiwis, emus
and rheas.
The most prolific kind is the common ostrich, considered to be the world’s largest bird.
Its eggs are also the largest.
It can weigh up to 320 lbs, making it as heavy as a fully grown panda bear.
The male ostrich can reach the astonishing height of 9ft 2ins That’s taller than a
grizzly bear standing on its hind legs.
The ostrich is easy to distinguish by its long, grey neck and muscular legs.
It can run as fast as 60 mph when sprinting for short periods of time, though it usually
averages about 43 mph.
When jogging for long distances, it settles for endurance rather than speed, reaching
34 mph with ease.
This means that, potentially, during quick bursts of energy, this bird can outrun a lion
and even a quarter horse.
As protection for its large eyes, the ostrich has long eyelashes.
It has three different stomachs, and unlike most birds, it doesn’t release its urine
at the same time it does its excrements.
This is due to the fact that it doesn’t store its bodily waste in the same organ as
other winged species.
Number 6-Unnamed Russian zookeeper Visitors of Penza city zoo in Russia were
shocked to see an ostrich going wild in its enclosure.
A zoo worker was feeding several ostriches in their habitat, as he did on a regular basis.
Usually, these animals tend to avoid human beings, both in captivity and in the wild.
This time, something changed.
The man broke the zoo's protocols by entering the cage without a companion.
This left him vulnerable to potential attacks.
Apparently, after mistaking his handler for a rival ostrich, one of the specimens aggressively
plunged forward.
The Russian zookeeper attempted to stand his ground, and prompt the ostrich to back away,
but it didn’t work.
The enraged animal trampled the man to the ground and began to furiously claw at him.
The unnamed handler tried to keep the stomps at bay by kicking back.
People in the crowd could do nothing but watch in horror as the attack continued.
Eventually, the ostrich seemed to lose interest in its victim and stepped away toward the
edge of its enclosure.
It lunged closer to the zebras’ habitat, but they seemed unfazed.
The zookeeper grabbed his hat and stepped outside the enclosure, mildly hurt.
There were conflicting reports, with some media outlets claiming the man suffered from
several broken ribs, while his employers assured the public he hadn’t been injured.
Number 5-Johnny Cash Back in 1981, Johnny Cash was living in a
complex of studios and farms that the singer called home.
Cash had commissioned the creation of an exotic animal park on his farm.
This location included several ostriches, one of which soon became a nuisance.
One day, Cash was walking through the woods on his farm when this particular ostrich began
to follow him, wings spread, hissing aggressively.
That time around, the ostrich retreated.
Cash prepared himself for a second encounter, carrying a stick as he returned to the area.
As he had expected, the ostrich began hissing at him once more.
Cash attacked the massive bird but failed to land a blow.
The ostrich didn’t.
It kicked the artist right on the gut and ended up breaking two ribs and ripping his
stomach open.
The buckle of his belt stopped the cut from continuing any lower.
Cash managed to strike the ostrich the second time around, and it ran away.
This gave the singer enough time to get the urgent medical treatment he needed.
Where Is It Located?
The common ostrich is native to the African continent, inhabiting arid and semi-arid locations.
There are a few feral specimens in Australia, which most likely escaped from captivity at
some point.
The ostrich is mostly nomadic and tends to travel in groups.
These can be as small as 5 members or as large as 50 grown birds.
When threatened, the ostrich prefers to lie on the floor and hide or to try and make an
escape.
However, if it’s cornered or pushed to attack, it can become a vicious beast.
In captivity, the common ostrich can be found all around the world.
This is due to farmers raising it for its feathers, but also for its lean meat, which
is ideal for low-carb diets.
The Arabian ostrich was forced into extinction due to poachers and the changes in its natural
habitat during the 20th century.
Attempts have been made to reintroduce this bird in territories such as Israel.
These experiments haven’t been successful.
It has incredibly acute hearing and sight, which allow the ostrich to escape predators
with ease.
This massive bird feeds mostly on seeds, grass, fruits, and shrubs, but also insects such
as locusts.
Since they lack teeth, they resort to swallowing pebbles, in order to grind their food in their
stomachs.
An adult ostrich will carry a full 2 lbs of rocks inside its body at any given moment.
Number 4- Circus audience During a circus performance in Kazan, Russia,
one of the animals went on the rampage, terrorising visitors in the audience.
An animal handler was performing a trick with an ostrich, when something seemed to disturb
it.
The trainer attempted to calm it down, but the massive bird sprinted out of the main
ring and jumped into the crowd.
It started to frantically attack the people in the audience, hitting women, men and children
with his powerful feet.
To reach the crowd, the ostrich had to actually leap over a barrier separating the performances
from the audience.
The handler quickly followed behind, and managed to calm the ostrich down, keeping it from
continuing its rampage.
Soon, he guided the animal back to the ring.
The whole situation was caught on camera.
Fortunately, none of the circus’ visitors were badly injured.
Number 3-Safari park Guests of the Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo
are accustomed to certain animals sticking their heads through the lowered car windows
to get some treats.
Usually, these are deer and other harmless animals, but a group of guests were shaken
up by an entirely different kind of visitor.
As a guest of the park recorded himself feeding a deer, an annoyed ostrich managed to push
the animal away.
It then stuck its own head through the car’s open window, trying to steal the treats carried
by the visitors.
The ostrich proceeds to jab at the bowl of food repeatedly, using its beak to catch the
treats.
In the video, a woman can be heard screaming.
Much to the guests’ horror, a second ostrich sticks its head in the car as well, and both
birds begin to aggressively peck around.
Fortunately, no one sitting in the car was harmed, but they got a good fright before
they managed to drive away.
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How Will It Kill You?
Though ostriches prefer to run away rather than attack, this doesn’t make them any
less dangerous.
This animal has powerful legs and sturdy nails on its feet and can move at tremendous speeds.
These facts, combined with its massive size, make an attack from an ostrich a potentially
lethal situation.
When cornered, an ostrich, both in the wild and in captivity, will kick its victim, slashing
the opposing animal or human with its long claws.
If stabbed by these piercing natural weapons, the ostrich’s victim can easily be disemboweled
or killed in a single blow.
It’s considered that two to three people are gravely injured or killed by an ostrich
every single year, in South Africa alone.
Number 2-Unnamed technician An Altech technician was sent to South Africa’s
Bergview Complex Engen 1 to conduct routine maintenance.
The area he walked into had several animals locked inside an enclosure, which he was instructed
to enter.
The man was unfazed by the donkeys and goats, but surprised when he spotted an ostrich.
The animal lunged at the technician angrily, slashing at him with its long claws.
The technician was defenseless to the mighty attacks.
The ostrich’s onslaught came to a halt when the man was dragged away by a passerby.
The technician had deep cuts on his chin and other serious injuries on his upper body.
He was promptly rushed to the hospital, and several studies were conducted to determine
his condition.
Fortunately, none of his vital organs had been damaged.
The five ostriches living in the complex were often moved away from the enclosure when maintenance
was scheduled.
The technician’s supervisor had assured the man no authorization was needed, and thus
the animals remained in the area
How to Survive?
The best way to survive an ostrich attack is to avoid this massive bird altogether.
This is usually not a difficult task, as it prefers to stay away from human beings.
However, if confronted by a stressed, territorial or angered ostrich, the key is to try and
remain calm.
Do not try to outrun these creatures as they’re surprisingly fast.
The best way to avoid them is to hide, particularly in places where the ostrich can’t easily
reach you.
If it’s an elevated location, it will work even better.
This is because ostriches can neither fly nor climb.
Though they may try and reach you with their beaks, they have no teeth to bite you with.
The most dangerous parts of their bodies are their strong legs and sharp claws, so it’s
vital to avoid falling on the ground or confronting them directly.
If you have no other option but to stand your ground, try and grab a stick or long object
and strike their neck.
It’s both an easier aim than its tiny head and would potentially cause greater harm.
If this causes the ostrich to flee, don’t pursue it.
Get away from the area immediately and find medical aid for any injuries sustained
in the confrontation.
Number 1-Abraham and Ouma Hendriks In 1997, an elderly couple had decided to
meet a few friends in Cape Town, in South Africa.
They took a walk through an ostrich farm.
Suddenly, an ostrich lunged at the 65-year-old man, throwing him to the ground.
The man was unable to stand up, and could only watch in horror as several other ostriches
attacked his wife.
63-year-old Ouma Hendriks was kicked at and stomped for what her husband described as
almost an hour.
Only after the birds had left, did he manage to drag his wife toward a large bush to hide
while he searched for help.
He managed to flag down a passerby who called emergency services to the area.
Ouma Hendriks was rushed to the hospital, where she died due to her severe injuries.
Abraham Hendriks was badly maimed as well, and he required urgent treatment.
He survived, but was left with terrible scars in the aftermath of the vicious attack.
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