Fox attack blamed for zoo ostrich's death
Zookeepers at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm have found Olivia the Ostrich dead after a fox attacked her.
When keepers were carrying out their morning rounds in the African section of the zoo where Olivia lived, they found her dead and realised she had been attacked by a fox.
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Noah's Ark is a 100-acre zoo at Wraxall surrounded by countryside which means fox attacks are not uncommon. The latest, on January 23, has led to the zoo building stronger defences against foxes.
Head keeper Chris Wilkinson said: "We discovered on Friday morning that a fox attacked Olivia and she suffered a fatal blow to the abdomen.
"Necessary defences are erected around all of the venerable animals. Casualties from fox attacks tend to be small birds and rabbits, but we've never heard of a fox attacking such a large animal before."
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is closed at the moment to the public but reopens on February 7. It has more than 100 varieties of mammals, birds and reptiles, including giraffe and rhinos.
2 Comments
by Ben Lynch, Bath
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 8:17PM
“I don't know why the possibility of attacks by big cats are so easily ruled out. I heard the ostrich was found without a head. I cannot imagine a fox attacking a bird that is many times its size anyway.. its not instintive of a fox to do so.
Big cats obviously exist in the somerset area, I myself have seen a black panther near Chard as well as hearing about other evidence, such as my friend having a deer killed in his back garden.
How and why would a fox kill an otrich?..”
by Spartacus, Bristol
Tuesday, January 27 2009, 10:40PM
“May be it was an act of dog?”