OSTRICHES – Struthionidae
Ostrich
Struthio camelus

• Distribution

The Ostrich is only found in Africa.

• Habitat

The Ostrich lives in large open areas like the savannah, steppe and grassland.

• Behaviour

Ostriches are herbivores. In the wild they eat all kind of fruit, vegetables, cereals, grass and plants. In Hanoi Zoo they are fed fruit, vegetables, bread, rice and sometimes a little bit of boiled meat.
The Ostrich lives in a group and it is the biggest bird species in the world. Although it can not fly and it has two toes it is still a bird. It can run up to 70 km/hour. An adult male weighs about 130 kg and stands 170 – 270 cm. The female is smaller but can still weigh up to 110 kg and stands around 190 cm. It is not exactly known how old they can get in the wild but they reach an age of 50 years in captivity.
The Ostrich reaches its sexual maturity at an age of three years. One egg weighs around 1,2 to 1,5 kg and will incubate in 45 days. The two adults take turns incubating the eggs.
In Hanoi Zoo there are three Ostriches. All of them came from Allwetter ZOO, Germany, to Vietnam in March 1994. When they arrived they were 8 months old. Although they only appaer in africa they adapt very well in Hanoi Zoo..

Văn Nam (Theo hanoizoo)