Ostrich in Kerala: Video of 'featherless' bird running in Kochi goes viral

In a bizarre and unexpected incident, an ostrich was spotted walking freely along a busy road in Kerala’s Ernakulam district.

Transcript

00:00A wild visitor in Kerala, and no, it wasn't an elephant.

00:03It was a giant ostrich, spotted casually strutting down a busy road in Anarchilam, and people

00:08were stunned.

00:09The video of the scene went viral, especially the part where a man gestures like a traffic

00:13cop and the ostrich actually seems to obey.

00:16The internet couldn't get enough.

00:18Users joke it was a real-life Jumanji moment, while others wondered if this was the start

00:22of Kerala's exotic safari.

00:24So what's the world's largest flightless bird doing here?

00:27Turns out, the bird had escaped from a private property in Aluwa.

00:31A local resident, who owned three to four ostriches, had left the gate open, and one curious bird

00:36wandered off.

00:37It was caught a few hundred metres away and brought back safely.

00:40But is it even legal to keep an ostrich as a pet in India?

00:43Yes, under certain rules.

00:45The Ministry of Environment allows exotic pets, but owners must register them on Parivesh 2.0

00:50portal within 30 days.

00:52In fact, Kerala has seen a rise in ostrich and emu farming in districts like Mallapuram.

00:56These birds are raised on private farms, provided they are well-fenced and don't disturb the public.