A rhea on the run for a month has finally been caught. 

But it is not a the same giant bird which escaped from a farm in Patna, Ayrshire, in July and continues to be on the loose. 

The latest rhea, which was originally thought to be an ostrich, had taken flight from a small holding near Forth, South Lanarkshire, in late July. 

It was spotted in a field on August 24 and has now been captured by officers from the Scottish SPCA, with the help of a farmer and some locals. 

The bird will now be taken to its new home - a wildlife centre. 

Inspector Heather Lawson said: "The story of the stray rhea, first thought to be an ostrich, has caused a bit of a stir, with people regularly reporting sightings of it. 

Glasgow Times:


"I wasn't sure how we would be able to catch it given the vast area of woodland it was on. However, with a stroke of luck a local farmer spotted the rhea in a field. 

"With the help of fellow officers, members of the public and the local farmers, we were able to keep the rhea confined long enough to construct a holding pen before being able to load him safely into a trailer. 

"The process was relatively straight forward and stress free and the rhea seems none the worse for its adventure." 

The Scottish SPCA are still hunting for a second rhea which went missing with the now captured bird. 

Meanwhile, the much-searched for Patna rhea was most recently sighted in a field earlier this month.