Cape Point Ostrich Farm
Park ‘n’ Grab (PNG) cache on Plateau Road (M65) about 700m NW of the turn-off for the entrance gate to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.
The cache, a small flip-topped disensing pot, is hidden outside the farm fence in a tree just a few metres to the SE of the entrance gate. Please take care to replace it securely in its hidey hole and keep an eye out for muggles around the entrance area whilst undertaking your activities . . .
Some Ostrich Facts
Stru
thio camelus (from the Latin: Struthio = ostrich, camelus = camel – due to its dry habitat
Weight: 63-130kg (big males can be up to 155kg); Height: 1.8-2.75m; Eyes: 50mm – the largest of any land vertebrate, shaded from sunlight falling from above; Foot: 2 toes (most birds have 4) – an adaptation for running (they can run at over 70kph for up to 30 minutes – the top speed of any land bird); Wingspan: up to 2m (used for mating displays and to shade chicks); Males have retractable 20cm copulatory organ (unlike most birds); Lifespan: up to 45 years; Diet: mainly plants but also insects; Eggs: the largest of all eggs but they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird - on average they are 15cm x 13cm and weigh 1.4kg (over 20 x a chicken egg).
They normally live in nomadic groups of 5-50 birds. When threatened, it will either hide by lying flat against the ground, or run away. If c
ornered, it can attack with a kick from its powerful legs. Territorial males fight for a harem of 2-7 females in fights usually lasting just minutes, but they can easily cause death through slamming their heads into opponents. The successful male can then breed with all the females in an area, but will only form a pair bond with the dominant female. The one posing in the photo seems to have formed some other type of pair bond!
There are 5 subspecies: Southern (Southern Africa), North African (Red-Necked) – the most widespread; Masai (S. Kenya, E Tanzania, S Somalia); Arabian (Middle-Eastern) – was common in Arabian Peninsula, Syria but hunted to extinction in 1966; Somali (S. Ethiopia, NE Kenya, Somalia)
They can go without water for several days, using metabolic water and moisture in their food, but they enjoy liquid water and frequently take baths where it is available.
They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. In much of their habitat, temperatures vary as much as 40°C between night and day. Their temperature control mechanism relies on action by the bird, using its wings to cover the bare skin of the upper legs and flanks to conserve heat, or leaving these areas exposed to release heat.
The females will lay their fertilized eggs in a single communal nest, a simple pit, 30- 60cm deep and 3m wide, scraped in the ground by the male. The dominant female lays her eggs first, and when it is time to cover them for incubation she discards extra eggs from the weaker females, leaving about 20 in most cases. A female ostrich can determine her own eggs amongst others in a communal nest.The incubation period is 35-45 days. In the wild survival rate is low for hatchlings, with an average of only one per nest surviving to adulthood. Predators include hyenas, jackals, various birds of prey, and vultures.
It is farmed around the world, particularly for its meat (tastes similar to lean beef, is low in fat and cholesterol and high in calcium, protein and iron), feathers (decorative and also used as feather dusters) and skin (used for leather products like handbags & shoes).
Ostriches reared 
entirely by humans may not direct their courtship behaviour at other ostriches, but toward their human keepers!
In some countries, people race each other on ostriches – a practice common in Africa and indeed part of modern South African culture but relatively unusual elsewhere. They are ridden in the same way as horses with special saddles, reins, and bits but are harder to manage than horses.
The wild Ostrich population has declined drastically in the last 200 years, with most surviving birds in game parks or on farms.
Cape Point Ostrich Farm
This was established in 1996 and within a year the long dormant land was turned into a natural landscape ostrich breeding farm by Dr. Coelle and his wife Angelika. The 65ha farm had been undeveloped and only the ruins of the early 19th century Cape Dutch style buildings were visible beneath the many years of undergrowth. The family run business has since passed into the 2nd generation and is now managed by the children.
There are up to 40 breeding pairs in individual open pens which ensure there are always plenty of ostrich eggs to be incubated. The facility can accommodate up to 800 birds.
The farm, open daily from 0930-1730, has guided tours, a restaurant specialising in ostrich dishes, beer & tea gardens and shops selling carved & decorative eggs and ostrich leather products.
Ostrich farming started in the Cape as far back as the mid-17th century, and has been an important economic activity ever since. Ostrich feathers were a huge source of income in the Victorian era, when tons of feathers were exported to Europe.
This type is quite rare - fortunately!