On a clear morning on the African savanna, a wildlife ranger found a young ostrich tangled in a discarded green plastic net beside a wildlife fence. The bird, with soft gray brown feathers, a long neck and large watchful eyes, had become caught around its body and legs. Dry golden grass and red brown soil surrounded the scene, with distant hills and acacia trees under bright daylight.

The ranger approached slowly, steadied the ostrich with one gloved hand, and used blunt tip scissors to cut only the loose strands away from the skin and feathers. Strand by strand, the net fell to the ground. The ranger then removed the loosened net from around the bird’s legs by hand, allowing the ostrich to shift its weight and regain its footing.

Once free, the young ostrich shook its feathers slightly, took a few cautious steps forward, and walked into the open grassland toward the savanna. It left the fence and the discarded net behind, unharmed and free to return to the wild.