Imagine a bird that can kill a lion, jackal or hyena with a single swipe of its leg armed with a dagger-like claw. Imagine an animal whose eggs could make a great goblet or a pretty water vessel. You understand that we are talking about an individual, without whose feathers in the XVII century no fan, ladies’ hat, opahalo or plumage of «winged hussars» could do without. Our bird runs at a speed of up to 70 km/h, can carry a man on its back and loves to snack on locusts and lizards in between eating flowers, seeds and young shoots of plants. This is the African ostrich.
Ostriches are bred in 50 countries around the world. The largest number of farms is concentrated in South Africa, but even in Sweden such farms are highly profitable enterprises, because tourists willingly watch exotic animals, and buy feathers, eggs and products made from their skin. One of the very first farms in Ukraine was a farm located on the territory of the village of Strelkovoy. This is Genichesky district, Kherson region, the northernmost part of the spit of Arabatskaya Strelka. The farm is located on the territory of the boarding house «Valok».
The ostrich farm in Strelkovoye is home to about 300 Struthio camelus individuals. They are housed in four outdoor aviaries, each of which is equal to the largest soccer field. On each bird stadium there are houses where the animals hide from the weather. The owners of the farm organize excursions for those who want to see the amazing birds up close, observe their behavior and communication.
In addition to admiring the «camel sparrow» — this is how the species name of the bird is literally translated from Latin, tourists and aspiring entrepreneurs can buy ostrich young at the farm. Chicks that have reached 2 months of age are sold.
A rather popular «attraction» at the farm is the bar, where dishes made exclusively from eggs or bird meat are served. It tastes like beef and is virtually cholesterol-free. Curiously, the standard three meals a day offered by the kitchen of the boarding house «Valok» does not include exotic food.
For those who come to vacation in Strelkovoe with children at the ostrich farm there is a small zoo. In it live goats, donkeys, a couple of horses, Vietnamese piglets, guillemots and peacocks. Just as in the savannah, where giant birds graze together with zebras and antelopes, all the above-mentioned animals get along well with ostriches, creating an original, biblical-idyllic attraction of the Arabatskaya Spit.