Ostrich’s brush with fame
RUNAWAY ostrich Chickaboo is in fine feather at Ostrich Wonderland ever since moving to the family-run farm in Semenyih in June.
Its owner Casey Tey, 53, said Chickaboo was growing up fast and doing great with her “sisters”.
“Chickaboo is very healthy and has put on 40kg in four months.
“I keep her in a special pen along with her two siblings and best friend,” Tey said, when met at the farm.
Having fully recovered from her “culture shock” of seeing other ostriches, 10-month-old Chickaboo now spends her days frolicking with the rest of the flock, he said.
Curious visitors still pop by to see the flightless bird, famed for her runaway sprint along the Federal Highway in June.
“A lot of people still remember Chickaboo,” said Tey, adding that she gets some 200 visitors weekly on the farm.
US singer Greyson Chance also visited her when he came to Malaysia in June to perform at Menara Star.
The six-acre farm is run by Tey, a former engineer, and his four children.
One of Tey’s three sons, Shen, makes time for his cherished Chickaboo despite his hectic schedule as an engineering student.
“I come on most weekends to look after them and give tours to visitors.”
The LimKokWing University student said Chickaboo was spe- cial, as she was an albino.
“Out of 10, only one bird is born with a white neck, fine feather and greyish eyes,” he said.
Kajang housewife R. Krishanthi, 38, who was there with her family, thought Chickaboo seemed much happier at the farm.
“I think she’s much happier here than as a pet, this is where she belongs,” she said.
Her two children, aged five and three, were tickled pink watching Chickaboo trying to peck at their outstretched hands.
“We’ve been here before but they love to look at these ani- mals, especially Chickaboo,” she said.
In June, Chickaboo made headlines when she hopped out of former owner Darren Chow’s Toyota Hilux and dashed for freedom down the Federal Highway in the midst of morning traffic.
Tey said she was being transported to his farm, where Chow had first bought Chickaboo as a chick.
“He intended to use her for educational exhibitions but after four months, the bird grew really fast and had reached three feet tall,” he said.
Chow was pressured by his neighbours in Petaling Jaya to get rid of the bird, whom he fondly named Chickaboo.
Tey said it ran for some 3km before stopping to rest and that was when Chow swooped in to save his beloved former pet.
It was not Chickaboo’s last brush with fame.
Soon after, the bird appeared on a late night TV show Meletop Kebaboom with Chow, where she was tasked to forecast the winner of the 2016 European football championships 2016.
Her prediction turned out to be wrong though as Portugal went on to win the UEFA 2016 instead of Italy.