Ostrich Attempts Suicide at Lincoln Park Zoo, 1899

 

Ostrich Bent on Suicide 

A Chicago Zookeeper Now Accounts For Its Escape 

Special to The New York Times 

Lincoln Park turned into the Sahara Desert for nearly an hour earlier Sunday when zoo employees 

pursued a rogue ostrich, transforming the land bird into a waterfowl when it jumped from the park bridge.  

First among the many reasons for the suicide theory was the fact that the bird had ended the chase that baffled its pursuers by taking a flying leap from the high bridge across the lagoon into the calm waters where so many suicidal souls have met their goal. True, there were many who claimed that the ostrich was driven to make the jump by the band of intensely focused hunters which De Vry had headed out of the recesses of the Zoo. But De Vry had some very good reasons for the belief that was in him. 

“No,” he said, with mournful emphasis, “It was clearly an attempt at suicide, and there is no doubt about it” 

 

“You see, ostrich’s husband died on its way to our Zoo and she has shown signs of depression ever since.  My suspicions were confirmed when the ostrich took the plunge.” 

 

According to police records, there have been over 15 confirmed attempted suicides from the Lincoln Bridge since its inauguration, thus dubbing it, the “suicide bridge” 

The ostrich is expected to fully recover from its injuries. 

~Kavan O'Neil