Written by: Jackie Badenhorst
Not long after I entered Rietvlei Nature Reserve I saw a female ostrich strutting amongst the pink flowers. I decided to switch the car off and get a few photos.

Once the car was off I heard a deep, booming sound coming from far off. I heard it again and again but couldn’t see any animals but her. The next thing I spotted a male ostrich coming over a ridge about 300-400 metres off and he was on a mission!

He came sprinting as fast as he could in the female’s direction. When he was about 50 metres away, she sat down – as if she knew what was coming!

He then came to a stop and wasted no time mounting the female.

As they copulated he inflated his throat pouch and swished his head from side-to-side whilst lifting his wings up and down. This lasted for about five minutes and then he was done.



He proceeded to jump up and take off at the same speed he had approached her. She stood up, stood dead still for a few minutes and eventually moved off to feed again.

To comment on this story: Download our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC:
- Travel with us. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early / late and a few kilometres off course and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity? Browse our famous packages for experience-based safaris, search for our current special offers and check out our camps & lodges for the best prices.
- Subscribe to our FREE newsletter / download our FREE app to enjoy the following benefits.