Rhea, native to South America, is related to the ostrich and emu, and is capable of running at up to 40mph. They are brown in colour, have three-toed feet and can grow up to six feet.
A FLIGHTLESS bird has been spotted in the fields between the village of Long Sutton and RAF Odiham.
Found this on internet from last September.... from the Basingstoke Gazette
Gardener Steve Spreadborough spotted a Rhea in a field by the B3349, on his way to work in Long Sutton, during the last week of September.
Mr Spreadborough, from South Warnborough, said the bird may have escaped from a smallholding in Odiham, and has become more visible now that fields of crops between Long Sutton and the RAF base have been harves-ted.
The 48-year-old, who has taken pictures of the bird on his mobile phone, said: “It has been running around the village.
“I just thought it was going to cause an accident because it’s getting near to the B3349 and someone might swerve to avoid it.”
He added sightings of the bird, which he described as “great, big grey thing”, have been reported to the police, and that villagers tried to catch it recently.
Mr Spreadborough said: “It is very fast. They tried to round it up but it outran their dogs.”
There have been examples of Rheas escaping in the UK. In April this year, a woman spotted a Rhea in fields near Alton.
A Rhea called Rita, that went on the run from a smallholding in Hertfordshire, was shot dead by a gamekeeper in May.
The bird is farmed in the UK for its meat, which contains little fat and tastes like venison.
