Ostrich hunting trips in Africa

The ostrich is the world’s largest and heaviest flightless bird. Native to Africa and available for game hunting safaris in various African countries, the ostrich provides an exceptional trophy for those hunters looking for a unique hunting adventure.

There are two species of ostriches, namely the common ostrich (Struthio camelus), found in southern Africa, and the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes) in East Africa.

Ostriches prefer semi-arid and arid habitats and graze peacefully amongst other wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, and wildebeests. Although their diet is mainly plant-based, they are omnivorous, enjoying whatever food is available in their habitat at that time. This includes leafy succulents, grasses, flowering plants, fruits, mice, lizards, locusts, and grasshoppers.

Lions, crocodiles, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, and spotted hyenas prey on the ostrich, while jackals and vultures target their eggs. Their defense mechanisms include running away or attacking their predators with a vicious kick or two of their powerful legs, which can cause injury or even death.

Ostriches start reproducing between 2-3 years old, with breeding happening annually between June and late October or early November. Females lay 12-18 eggs in a shallow hole in the ground. Females will sit on the eggs and guard over them during the day, with the male reciprocating during the night.