MAN/OSTRICH INTERACTIONS: A CULTURAL HISTORY

Abstract

SUMMARY Ostriches are large flightless two-toed birds now confined to Subsaharan Africa. Behaviourally modern but preagricultural humans arose about 40 000 Before the Present and soon began to make use of ostriches and their eggs, as food, decoration (egg-shell beads, feathers) and water-carriers. Along with other animals (and humans) ostrich pictures were painted or engraved on rock. Use for food, decoration and display carried on into the agricultural societies, and even to the present day. Throughout this period demand for ostrich products has fluctuated, depending on changing fashions. Ostriches have not played a major part in religions, myths and folklore. Scattered instances are mentioned, including the question of whether they were unclean food as laid down in the Bible. Up to the present century loss of ostrich populations seems to have been primarily due to overexploitation of eggs for food, not to hunting adults. In the 20th century motor vehicles carrying hunters with highpowered, accurate rifles have led to extinction in Syria and Arabia, and virtual extinction in North Africa, by shooting adult and immature birds. Ostriches in southern Africa are nearly pure australis, and not much contaminated by genes brought in by imported nominate camelus and syriacus cocks in the second half of the 19th century.