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Ostriches: Why Do They Hate Us?
The owner of an ostrich ranch is planning to shut down after losing a lawsuit against hot-air balloonists he says panicked his birds into a lethal stampede. D.C. Cogburn, the owner of the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, says he owes more than $100,000 in legal fees and is preparing to close the ranch along Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak. "Rooster Cogburn"? The Duke lives! "When you're 25 or even 40, a financial disaster can be a challenge you can overcome," said Cogburn, 66. "It's different when you're my age and know you haven't got that many years left." Starving the elderly again. Those balloonists must be Republicans. Cogburn's troubles started on Feb. 3, 2002, when two large hot-air balloons with their propane burners roaring, loomed over the ranch and panicked the ostriches, Cogburn said. The large birds stampeded, trampling 7,000 feet of fences. Hey, if the Palestinians had ostriches and a few hot-air balloons, they wouldn't have to worry about those darn Israeli fences. Two dozen birds from his 1,600-bird flock died from injuries within days, and the incident destroyed the ostriches' breeding patterns. Cogburn said it cost him a $3 million contract to supply chicks to a Brazilian business. "An ostrich ranch is like a vineyard; it takes years of investment before you turn a profit," Cogburn said. "The contract was our breakthrough." "And now that money is all gone, Maw! It done and run away!" Cogburn sued balloonists Jeffrey and Elaine Anderson and their crew, led by Roy Waltz, in 2003. But Pinal County jurors sided with the balloonists, who said they maintained their distance from the ranch and were within Federal Aviation Administration regulations. Douglas Fitch, the lawyer who defended the balloonists, said he felt for the rancher. Some jurors told him after the verdict that they believed the balloonists caused the stampede but didn't think they did anything wrong. Cogburn had hoped to use the ranch to produce ostrich meat, recommended by the American Heart Association as a red meat lower in fat, cholesterol and sodium than turkey. He also planned to sell the giant birds' skin, plumes, infertile eggs and shells. Ostrich: the other, other, other white meat. Ostriches form tight communities, according to veterinarian Carole Price, president of the American Ostrich Association. The stampede jumbled the communities, giving him no way to tell which birds belonged in which clan, Cogburn said. More than 800 birds were hurt and had to be killed over the year after the incident. Birds split from their communities are disoriented and have difficulty beginning breeding again. I knew they liked to bury their heads in places other than sand. "They aren't breeding during that time," said Price, who toured Cogburn's ranch last fall. She found him "an excellent rancher who takes very good care of his animals." Thank you, ma'am. Now saddle up and ride into the sunset, pilgrim. Posted by: Chris W. 2005-08-11 |
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