Videos Show 'Heartbroken' Escaped Ostrich Leading Cops on Chase Through Traffic

A wily ostrich named Tadori escaped from a South Korean zoo, leading local police officers on an hour-long foot chase through heavy traffic. Reuters reported that the four-year-old male ostrich made his escape from the Bug City Zoo in Seongnam, within the Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday at around 9:30 a.m. local time.

Tadori immediately fled into the city’s rush-hour traffic, leading officers on a marathon chase to capture him. Officials suspect that his jailbreak had to do with the grief the ostrich is experiencing after the death of his female companion, Tasooni, last month. Tasooni was described as Tadori’s “only friend.”

Zoo officials immediately noticed Tadori’s escape and contacted fire officials and police for help in safely recovering the animal.

Although ostriches can’t fly, they’re the fastest-running birds in the world, according to National Zoo. They can run up to speeds of 30 to 37 mph and can sprint as fast as 43 mph. Their feet are capable of clearing 10 feet in a single step.

Videos widely circulated on social media show Tadori’s run for freedom. In one clip, recorded from the back of a taxi by Instagram user @ola.__.m, Tadori can be seen fleeing across five lanes of streaming traffic. At one point, as the camera is pivoting to the other side of the vehicle, you can hear Tadori get hit by a delivery truck. The camera catches up with him as he picks himself up from the ground and once again takes off running.

In another clip from slightly later on in the chase, Tidori is captured jogging next to a bus, looking a bit like Tom Cruise in one of the Mission: Impossible sequels.

깜박이도 안키고 차선 바뀨고 운전 뭐 같이 하는 타조.. 여정의 끝은 어디일까 pic.twitter.com/2o3gFVcBqz

— 만두와조이 (@Mandu_Joy) March 26, 2024

Tadori was apprehended in a parking garage about an hour after his escape. Rescuers used a large net to lure and eventually trap the escaped fowl. The zoo’s owner, Choi Yun-joo, reported that the ostrich miraculously incurred no injuries during his brief adventure, despite coming into contact with the delivery van. Tadori is currently back in his enclosure and enjoying a well-earned rest.