Taber RCMP assist in escaped ostrich roundup

By Trevor Busch - Lethbridge Herald on November 25, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDtbusch@lethbridgeherald.com

The Mounties always get their man – or bird, as the case may be.

The Corn Capital of Canada suffered an avian invasion on Thursday morning after 20 ostriches escaped from an enclosure prompting law enforcement to lend a hand in corralling the flightless birds.

According to a release from the Taber-Vauxhall RCMP detachment, just before 8 a.m. Thursday morning RCMP began receiving reports of ostriches on the road in the area of Highway 36 and Township Road 94. One of the ostriches was later struck and killed on the roadway.

Throughout the morning, RCMP members supported the area farmer in locating and capturing the loose birds.

Officers of the Taber Police Service were also involved in the roundup.

“This morning, members of the Taber Police Service and the TPS Regional Community Standards Unit dealt with a number of ostriches within Town of Taber limits,” reads a news release. “The group made their way out of town where they created traffic hazards. Taber Police Service members assisted the RCMP in confining the birds so the owners could safely capture them.”

Several videos of the birds witnessed on Taber streets have since been posted to social media. One video taken by a local resident that has been provided to media depicts an RCMP police car with the ostrich owner riding on the passenger side grabbing one of the ostriches.

RCMP reported that as of 12:30 p.m. all but a couple of the ostriches had been captured, and officers continued to support the owner in locating and capturing the remainder of the loose animals.

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