African Safari Kenya Ostrich

Tsavo National Park was a bit of a disappointment because of the lack of animals seen and the relatively uninspiring, dense vegetation. Nearby Amboseli was much better in both respects.

However, as we left Tsavo at the end of our third day, we came across this pair of ostrich walking down the road. They were completely indifferent to us and so we were forced to stop whilst they came by.

But as soon as we stopped, so did they. We had obviously come across them just as they reached their favourite bathroom.

The young lady immediately got about her ablutions, rolling around in the dust, stirring up quite a storm.

The male was not so impressed. In the way of all males he presumably did not see the need for extensive, excessive washing and dusting down.

More charitably, I suppose we could say that he stood guard whilst the young lady went about her business.

Anyway, just as she was finishing, he decided to join in for a thirty second bath.

Cleaning completed, they did a very odd little dance. Deliberate or not I don't know, but they both took about thirty or forty quick steps, on the spot, exactly in synch with each other. Standing side by side they each raised a leg; outer legs first then inner legs, then outer .....

After about a minute or so, they stopped, looked around then walked straight past us, no more than three feet away, ignoring us almost completely, as if we didn't exist, though the young lady did hold her nose in the air, perhaps in disdain at our apparent voyeurism.