See the Ostrich in South Africa

Ostrich, common name for a large, flightless bird, now found only in Africa, but formerly found in the Middle East, where it is now probably extinct. Ostriches are the largest and strongest of living birds, attaining a height from crown to foot of about 2.4 m (8 ft) and a weight of up to 136 kg (300 lb). They have long necks and small heads, with large eyes and short, broad beaks. They spread their small wings when running and have long, powerful legs that are used for defense. The feet have only two toes. Male ostriches are black, with white wings and tail. The white feathers of the male, which are large and soft, are the ostrich plumes of commercial value. The female is a dull grayish-brown.

Ostriches are rapid runners and can reach speeds of about 65 km/hr (40 mph). The males are polygamous and travel about with three or four females, or in groups of four or five males accompanied by mates and young. The females lay their yellowish-white eggs together in a single large depression in the sand. The eggs weigh about 1.4 kg (3 lb) each and have a volume of about 1.4 liters (3 pt). The male sits on them at night, and the female incubates them by day.

In the last half of the 19th century, ostrich farming or the breeding of domesticated ostriches for their plumes was carried on extensively in South Africa, Algeria, Australia, France, and the United States. Ostrich plumes were used in hat-making and dressmaking. Farming declined as the demand for ostrich plumes became almost negligible; however, the introduction of ostrich hide as a luxury leather and the use of its flesh as meat has renewed interest in ostrich farming, even in Great Britain. South Africa is responsible for 95% of global ostrich production, and African Ostrich Marketing is your main door into this market.

Appearance

The Ostrich (struthio camelus) is a member of a group of birds known as ratites, that is they are flightless birds without a keel to their breastbone. Of the 8,600 bird species which exist today, the ostrich is the largest. Standing tall on long, bare legs, the Ostrich has a long, curving, predominantly white neck. The humped body of the male is covered in black patches and the wings and tail are tipped with white. The female is brown and white. These huge birds, which sometimes reach a height of 2.6 m and a weight of 135 kg, cannot fly, but are very fast runners.

Diet

Ostriches are mainly vegetarian, eating grass, succulents berries and seeds, though they will also eat insects. They swallow large numbers of pebbles which help grind the harder food in the gizzard and aid digestion.

Breeding

Ostriches normally mate for life, and they share the task of incubating the eggs. Ostriches form bisexual groups with a complex structure. Territorial males compete for flocks of 3 to 5 hens. Mating includes elaborate displays of hisses and dancing. Once divided into mating groups, ostriches in some areas use communal nests to hold anywhere from 14 to 60 eggs. The nest is a hole scraped in bare ground about 1 to 2 feet deep. The average egg is 6 inches in length, 5 inches in width, weighs about 3 pounds, and is shiny and whitish in color. Eggs take approximately 35 - 40 days to hatch.

The male, which has mostly black feathers, sits on the eggs at night, and the drab, brown female who lays up to 20 eggs, covers them during the day. In this way, the nest is much harder to see. If threatened while sitting on the nest, which is simply a cavity scooped in the earth, the hen presses her long neck flat along the ground, blending with the background. Ostriches, contrary to popular belief, do not bury their heads in the sand. Once the young ones hatch, it is usually the male ostrich which looks after the chick until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

The Domesticated Ostrich

Ostriches were almost wiped out in the 18th century due to hunting for feathers. By the middle of the 19th century, due to the extensive practice of ostrich farming the ostrich population increased. The movement changed to domesticating and plucking ostriches, instead of hunting. Ostriches have been succesfully domesticated and are now farmed throughout the world, particularly in South Africa, for meat, feathers and leather. The leather goes through a tanning process and is then manufactured into fashion accessories such as boots and bags.

Habitat

Most wild ostriches are found in fragmented groups in West, East and South Africa with the majority living in protected game reserves on the east of the continent. They are well adapted to living in dry conditions and are able to survive dehydration of up to 25%.

Transkei - green rolling hills scattered with round thatched huts of the Xhosa people. - "African experience".

The Transkei area of the Eastern Cape has become a regular destination for tourists.
The Transkei is especially attractive to tourists who seek an "African experience".

Coffee Bay and Port St. John's are two of the main tourist towns. Backpackers' lodges are readily available relatively cheap.

The smoking of marijuana is popular and draws many tourists to the area. Cannabis of varying qualities are also extensively harvested in the Transkei and grown in the gardens of many of the local inhabitants.

South African legislation prohibits these activities for non-registered users and producers (like sangomas). The smoking of marijuana or cannabis is illegal in South Africa.

The Transkei (meaning 'across the Kei') is a region situated roughly between East London and Durban in the Eastern Cape, bordered by the Great Kei River in the south and the Umtamvuna River near Port Edward in the north.

Characterised by green rolling hills scattered with round thatched huts, and a stunning coastline, the ruggedly beautiful Transkei region has become increasingly attractive to tourists seeking an unspoilt experience of South Africa, a far cry from the many westernised luxuries that can be found throughout most of the country.

The Wild Coast is perhaps the most visited part, with stretches of golden beach sprinkled with shells, overlooked by traditional Xhosa villages set amid the green hills, and punctuated by rough potholed roads.

Coffee Bay and Port St John's are the two main tourist towns and have become a haven for independent travellers and backpackers.

Hole in the Wall close to Coffee Bay is a popular attraction, a geographical marvel where the sea has pounded a tunnel through a huge rock in the sea.

Historically, the Transkei was one of the homelands created by the Apartheid government to be set aside for black, Xhosa-speaking South Africans until it became an independent state in 1976 with Umtata (Mthatha) as the capital.

In Umtatayou have to visit Umtata and see the Nelson Mandela Museum that showcases his life in photos and displays.

Just to the north the little town of Qunu lays its claim to fame as the birthplace of Mandela.
Transkei is still true Africa - not yet been invaded by large hotel chains or any of the Westernized luxuries found elsewhere in South Africa.

Come for a visit.