A search party has been launched to track down a mob of wild rheas on the loose in a Norfolk town.
Twelve rheas, which are large flightless birds distantly related to ostriches and emus, escaped from a farm on Common Road, in Stalham, in the early hours of Wednesday (June 21) morning.
The birds are believed to have forced their way out of their enclosure, with residents waking up to find them in their gardens and marauding through the streets.
Five of the twelve rheas have now been caught and returned safely to the farm – with one of the birds being caught by a member of the rescue team who dived off a quad bike to capture it.
Amy Watson, 26, was driving down Lyndford Road at around 5.45am when two groups of the birds came charging towards her.
“I was driving towards the junction on Lyndford Road when five of the birds came running towards my car,” Miss Watson said.
“I thought I was seeing things and I had to double take.
“They were running in gardens and peering in people’s windows.
“They ran off in the other direction, but then further down the road another group of four came charging towards me.”
The greater rhea is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America.
The farm the birds escaped from also keeps camels and donkeys.
A team of rescuers have been searching fields in Stalham and the surrounding areas, using drones and quad bikes.
A rhea that escaped from captivity in Hertfordshire in 2014 prompted a warning from the RSPCA, who said: "Rheas are large birds and have the potential to be dangerous as they are strong, fast and have sharp claws.
"Our advice to the general public is to keep well away."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here