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Gunma cops: Ostrich escapes from breeder’s truck on highway

An ostrich escaped onto a highway in Gunma Prefecture
An ostrich escaped onto a highway in Gunma Prefecture (NHK)

GUNMA (TR) – An ostrich escaped from a truck en route to a zoo on a highway here on Monday, leading rope-wielding police officers on a one-kilometer chase for almost an hour.

The ostrich somehow escaped from its cage on a truck along a highway at around 6:40 a.m. in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, while being transported to a zoo called “Ostrich Kingdom” in Ibaraki Prefecture, NHK reports (November 7).

Nine police and highway patrol officers used rope to try and capture the 1.8-meter-tall ostrich, which managed to evade capture until an hour later after a one-kilometer chase.

Police said no injuries were reported during the incident, where the ostrich escaped while being transported along with 15 other birds by a breeder from Saitama Prefecture to the zoo in Ibaraki Prefecture.

Highway patrol officer Takahashi Fujimoto told NHK that “two police officers had captured the ostrich by the time I arrived, and they tied rope to its neck and body and moved it to a safe location.”

“The ostrich was really calm,” Fujimoto said. “I couldn’t believe that an ostrich was on the highway, so I was shocked when I actually saw it.”

A driver on the highway uploaded a clip to Twitter showing the ostrich strolling along the road.

Several amused drivers uploaded photos and clips to Twitter, showing the ostrich strolling along the road.