O'FALLON, Ill — Firefighters helped rescue an injured ostrich from a 15-foot ravine Monday afternoon.
At around 1:30 p.m., O’Fallon Fire Rescue was called to the ravine to rescue the ostrich. After arriving on the scene, Fire Chief Brad White called the St. Clair County Special Emergency Services to assist with a rope rescue.
White said it took almost three hours to find a veterinarian to come out and sedate the bird. They weren’t able to find a specialist, but they did find a vet from Swansea who agreed to help.
Once the veterinarian was on the scene, it took another 40 minutes to get the ostrich sedated enough to allow the crew to go into the ravine.
The rescue team secured the bird to a basket and pulled it up a ladder with a rope pulley system, White said. After the ostrich was safely out of the ravine, the owner learned what happened and called the fire department.
The department was able to reunite the ostrich with its owner around 6:30 p.m.
White said the bird suffered a significant laceration to its neck during the fall and lost a fair amount of blood. White is still waiting for the owner to give him an update on the bird’s condition.
