Runaway Ostrich In A Police Chase

It was the wackiest police chase anyone can remember - armed officers in the Chinese capital Beijing pursuing a runaway ostrich! The road runner set the pace when he escaped from a farm and hit the asphalt running. "He was fast and he was big," said onlooker Chou Mai-an. "People stuck in traffic had to look twice when they saw it come up alongside them and cyclists had to swerve to get out of its way." The big bird caused an alarm at police headquarters which had to divert several traffic patrol cars to monitor its progress through the city because of fears it would distract drivers and cause an accident. A police spokesman said: "We checked with the main zoo and it hadn't escaped from there so we are assuming it was either someone's private pet or broke out of an ostrich farm - there are several around, they are reared for their meat and eggs. "The bird was not violent but its beak is capable of blinding a human if it chose to attack, and its feet can do severe damage as well. Eventually we managed to overpower it with the help of a bird expert." The hunt is now on to reunite the bird with its rightful owner. It is being cared for in a Beijing animal shelter until they can be traced.