Mate sought for runaway ostrich stressed by loneliness

As part of the Dicle University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine's mobile clinic program, a team consisting of academics and senior students performed a health check on the ostrich. The bird had escaped from the gas station of the businessperson to whom it was gifted on February 11, was spotted on the Diyarbakır-Silvan highway, and traveled approximately 15 kilometers to return to Güzelköy Neighborhood in the central Yenişehir district, where Fesih Ateş, the person who raised it, lives.

Prof. Dr. Hasan İçen, Chief Physician of the Dicle University Animal Hospital and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, stated that the bird experienced intense stress while returning to its owner, but that its bond with the owner reduced its stress once it arrived home.

Prof. Dr. İçen noted that ostriches generally panic and react to strangers, but that this bird did not show such a reaction and even allowed the examination. During the examination, they detected a state of anxiety due to loneliness, but stated that there were no other health problems.

Emphasizing that the ostrich, which has formed a strong bond with its owner, needs a mate as soon as possible to overcome its depression, İçen issued a call to those who wish to support both the bird and its owner, recommending that those with the means find a mate for the ostrich.