BIG BIRD STARTLES RESIDENTS IN OTAY LAKES NEIGHBORHOOD

By Miriam Raftery

April 4, 2010 (Otay Lakes) – It wasn’t your traditional Easter chick. A 5’5” bird, estimated to weigh a whopping 150 pounds, startled residents in the Otay Lakes area of east Chula Vista last night and this morning. Police and County Animal Control officers finally captured the giant bird outside Bonita Vista Middle School.

Emus and ostriches are ranched at several locations in the County. There is no word as yet on where this bird originated, or how it wound up running loose in a residential neighborhood. Nor is there any confirmation on whether the feathered frolicker was female. But if you find any giant eggs in the vicinity, it’s a good bet they didn’t come from the Easter bunny.

According to the Union-Tribune, County Animal Control officer Jaime Valles said he believed the bird was an emu.
 

This wasn’t the only bizarre case of unusual animals running loose in the area. Just last week, a pack of wild and domestic horses ran loose through streets in Chula Vista, including the Olympic Training Center grounds in Otay.