Did you know? Ostriches can run up to 70 km/h?
Olympic sprinters are incredible athletes. Usain Bolt set a new world record in the men’s 100-metre sprint, hitting a high speed of more than 45 kilometres per hour throughout the race. Wow, that was quick! The fastest woman, Florence Griffith-Joyner, was only a tenth of a second slower. But can they compete with some of the fastest two-legged birds? All of our runners have crossed the finish line in the time it took me to explain this.
Although the ostrich is the world’s largest bird, it is unable to fly. Instead, it can run incredibly swiftly, reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h, making it one of the fastest animals in Africa. Even though the Ostrich is unable to fly, its wings can assist it in maintaining balance at fast speeds. It could only have run fast in a straight path otherwise.
The ostrich has powerful and long legs. In fact, its legs are the longest of all flightless birds, giving them a stride of up to five metres.
Ostriches can use their speed to flee from predators such as lions, hyenas, and leopards. The ostrich’s incredible speed and endurance make it difficult for large creatures to catch. When confronted with danger, many people believe that ostriches bury their heads in the sand. However, this is not the case. When an ostrich becomes protective, it lies low and presses its neck to the ground to blend in with the surroundings.
