Rhea Missing After Dog Attack

I have injured and missing rhea after an attack by two dogs

Centre back: April, last year’s first born. Like the rest of last year’s chicks, she grew up believing my German Shepherd was her mother and something to cuddle up to.

An innocent and easy target – she was badly bitten and unlikely to recover. It seems that the three dominant males of the flock then led an escape over two fences, but the others were unable to climb the fences to follow them. The escapees were:

Right: Tommy, leader of the younger group, was found in a garden and recaptured, traumatized but unharmed. Like April, he had lost any inherit fear of dogs.

Left: Boomer – 5 yrs old, 5 foot high, is the noisy one and Top of the Flock. We know he is in a field near Binley but he needs to calm down before I can coax him back home.

Centre: DC – Daddy Day Care – 5 yrs old and so named because he has always assumed the daytime duties of caring for chicks and youngsters. DC is still missing, believed injured. Rhea are hard to catch, especially when hurt or frightened – and are best coaxed by a known handler rather than coerced. They hide in long grass (undoubtedly what he’s doing now!), run up to 40 mph and can kick hard in self defence if trapped or cornered.

Please, please, contact Elaine Frogley, 07826 464910 if you see him. All information gratefully received – this beautiful bird is scared and hurt somewhere!