Clumsy Baby Ostrich Learns to Walk With Help From Her Dedicated Keeper

In a heartwarming clip from the PBS series Baby Steps | Becoming Elephant: The Orphans of Reteti”, an adorably clumsy baby Somali ostrich at Reteti Sanctuary in Kenya attempted to take her first steps but stumbled in the process. Luckily her dedicated keeper Mary Lengees was nearby to assist again and again, like a parent teaching their child to ride a bike, until the chick was able to balance on her own two feet.

These Somali ostrich chicks are only weeks old, but one is struggling to stand. With the help of dedicated keepers, she’s slowly finding her strength.

Reteti Sanctuary explained why keepers, instead of parents, are teaching ostrich chicks to walk.

Imprinting is a critical early-life process where chicks learn to identify and follow their “parents” by recognising the first moving object they consistently see…Unfortunately, the towering grass can obscure their view, preventing them from seeing their mother and disrupting their ability to imprint properly. This often results in the chicks losing their way, necessitating rescue and rehabilitation efforts.