Zoo’s Ostrich Chokes on Plastic Bag, Dies

Shorty, the Cincinnati Zoo’s lone ostrich, died after choking on a plastic grocery bag she tried to swallow, a zoo veterinarian said Thursday.

“Ostriches are notorious for pecking at anything unusual,” said veterinarian Lynn Kramer. An examination of Shorty’s gizzard also turned up peanuts, coins and stones, she said.

“This is a classic example of why we implemented the no-feeding policy,” zoo director Ed Maruska said. “But people have fed the animals at the zoo for 100 years and it’s hard to change them overnight.”