Male (L) and female (R) Ostriches at Monarto Zoo

Ostriches are native to Africa, not South Australia, but if I want to see some Ostriches I only have to drive for about 10 minutes from my home in Murray Bridge South Australia. There is a small flock of Ostriches on display in our local open range zoo at Monarto which is a part of the Adelaide Zoo. Good – but quite as good as seeing them in their natural environment.

On the other hand, there are some Ostriches living in the wild in South Australia. In the nineteenth century Ostrich feathers were in demand for decorations on hats and several farms were set up in several parts of the country. A few feral birds remain in the arid country just north of Port Augusta where one farm was located. These were released from the farm when the market demand slumped, and a small self sustaining population can still be seen from time to time – if you know where to look.

Other African animals at Monarto Zoo include the African Lion.