Last week my DD2 took DGD aged 4 to a local attraction which has a small zoo attached. It's got the usual 'safe' animals and birds like wallabies and penguins which children love to see. It also has a couple of rheas. These birds are a bit like a small ostrich so have very long necks.
www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1438&bih=708&q=rhea&oq=rhea&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.4459.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1ac..21.img.pJtJnBkmn1c#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=gXGX166BXQ7kKM%3A%3BEShe8Pln-kZN-M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.jdmpics.com%252Fanimals%252Frhea-2.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.jdmpics.com%252Frhea-2.htm%3B378%3B305
DGD was standing on the path looking at the bird when it reached over the fence and pecked her face just below her eye. Apparently the bird had grown since the fence had been built and no one realised it could now reach over. DGD was quite badly injured and ended up in A&E where they had to scan her eye to make sure that the force of the blow hadn't damaged it internally from underneath. She also had to be x-rayed to check that her facial bones were still intact. Then they had to clean the wound which had been bleeding heavily. Finally after much discussion between the doctors who, understandably, had never had to deal with a rhea attack before it was decided to treat it as a dog bite and put her on strong antibiotics just in case.
I thought I'd post this story as many of us at this time of year will be taking our DGC to places that have small zoos attached and I wanted you to be extra aware.
They don't really care do they
Good Morning Good Friday 29th March 2024