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Dog Training Atlanta Dog Obedience Trainer Has Run-In With Killer Ostrich
Dog Training Atlanta Dog Obedience Trainer Has Run-In With Killer Ostrich | Atlanta Dog Obedience Trainer Has Run-In With Killer Ostrich |
| Written by Arrie Parker | ||||||||
| Wednesday, 04 May 2011 | ||||||||
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There were about three thousand animals that were housed at Africa USA's compound, an African wildlife tourist attraction that was open from 1953 until 1961, located in Boca Raton, Florida on 300 acres of land.
There were about three thousand animals that were housed at Africa USA's compound, an African wildlife tourist attraction that was open from 1953 until 1961, located in Boca Raton, Florida on 300 acres of land. All had to be cared for. Along with feeding, one of the many tasks given to an animal keeper is to wash all the cages and pens daily. If you are like me the most feeding and cleansing of any animal I had ever executed was with my canine and cat. This was a little bit bit different. With every animal, keepers acquired special instructions in regards to the cleansing of their pen and cage, most were easy and obvious. The animals of the cat and bear families had been kept in cages that had both a den box contained in the cage or in a large corral or pen. With those that had a den box, I would have to coax the animal inside, close the box and go inside to clean. In cleansing the pens of the others that were housed in large corrals or pens, if the directions were not carried out carefully, there might be grave consequences for the keeper. The ostrich pen was a big open pen. Thirty to forty ostriches were housed in a half-acre area of open ground with a number of towering eucalyptus trees enclosed by a six-foot high cyclone fence. There was a large mound of earth rising about six ft tall that was located in the center of the pen that ran the total length. This mound of earth proved to be much more than a mere pile of dirt -- it also served as a shield. A part of the day by day chore of the ostrich pen was cleansing the water tank. The most secure manner to do this was to divert the attention of the ostriches. The process was to feed them on the far side of the pen, then hurry back round, enter the gate, close and lock the gate, crouch down in order to cover behind the mound of grime while working my or crawl my way over to the water tank. It was then cleaned, refilled with water and I would get out of there before they completed eating. One big male ostrich, named Barney, stood about eight ft tall and was very protective of the female ostriches. Barney made it fairly harmful for a keeper to be inside the pen. We have been informed of the power and hazard of those funny birds. Due to their strong legs with 3-four inch claws, they're capable of ripping a person wide open or stomping him to death. In reality, this was actually a two-man job however due to a shortage in keepers it was given to just one. For sure, none of us looked forward to this task-- so we took turns. That day it was my turn. It was a sunny, cool day with a light breeze. It was the kind of day that gave me the feeling that it was an ideal day. But that was about to change! I had just done this one time and I was very nervous so I made a decision to do it very first thing in the morning. I went round and fed the big birds as instructed, and hurried back around to the double gate. While opening the gate I peered over the mound checking to make sure Barney was not finished eating. I entered the pen and crawled my way rapidly to the water tank. I had just turned over the tank, which was really an outdated cast iron bathtub, to scrub it when I heard this very strange, loud hissing sound. It was one thing I had never heard before, sort of like an over heated radiator, still, I knew instantly what it was. It was Barney and he had noticed me! Still hunched over in order to remain low, I looked up and saw Barney's head rise above the mound, his beak wide open and heading straight at me. This is a true account about the beginning of the career of Lawrenceville, Ga dog trainer Larry Titus. To read the conclusion of this exciting story and get a great discount on his dog training school, go to https://buyalongwithus.com/dog-training-deal About the Author: Larry Titus is a retired wild animal trainer and now runs a dog obedience school in the Atlanta area. To read the exciting ending of this story and get a great deal on dog training classes go to https://buyalongwithus.com/dog-training-deal Views: 44
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