Contents of an Ostrich’s Stomach (ca. 1930)

Aug 23, 2016



Taken by Frederick William Bond, photographer at the Zoological Society of London, this unusual  image shows the contents of an ostrich's stomach extracted after its death. While the bird is more commonly known to feast on a diet of roots, leaves, seeds, and flowers (with the occasional snake or lizard thrown in if needed), this ostrich seemed to have had a particular penchant for the high street fashion accessory. Amongst the items retrieved and noted down by Bond on the back of the photograph were two handkerchiefs (one lace) and a buttoned glove — presumably items expelled from the daily stream of visitors to the zoo, a sad consequence of the bird's urban existence. Also found were a length of rope and various metal items, including assorted coins, tacks, staples and hooks, and a four-inch nail. Its perhaps not too surprising to learn that this last item was the cause of death.