South Africa/NC: Khalagadi NP – Southern Ostriches

Ostriches are almost tailor-made and adapted to survive and flourish in the harsh environments of the Kalahari Desert due to their ability to withstand extreme heat and go without water for long periods. There are plenty of ostriches to be seen along both dry river beds – Auob & Nossob – that the park roads run along. The species found in the Khalagadi NP is the Southern Ostrich (Struthio camelus australis), which is native to South Africa. This is the largest bird in the world, weighing up to 150 kg and standing up to 2.7 m (9 ft) high. Their strong legs make them the fastest running bird in the world – they can sprint at up to 70 km/h (43 mph) and sustain speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph). They can go for days without water and their eyes have special membranes to protect them from Kalahari dust storms. Their eye are also the largest in size of any land animal, and their brains are tiny, smaller than their eyes! The males and females are of different color – black va grey. Their eggs are humongous, 24x the size of chicken eggs. And we were super lucky to see many little ostrich chicks.