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Posted on 11/16/2001 4:23:23 PM PST by dighton

AN ostrich missed his 12-year-old human companion so much that he escaped from his enclosure at an animal sanctuary and trotted a half-mile through busy streets to wait outside the school gates.

Alarmed residents and car drivers tried to corner six foot-tall Godzilla as he strode purposefully through the streets of Collier Row, near Romford, east London, but to no effect.

Then the RSPCA arrived at the gates of Bower Park School and attempted, unsuccessfully, to lasso him and get a bag over his head. Finally, the school bell rang and Buster Cook emerged to find his feathered friend causing chaos.

After a reassuring pat - to the cheers of schoolmates - Buster walked home with Godzilla obediently loping along a few paces behind. William Cook, Buster's father, who runs the Havering Grange Animal Sanctuary in Havering-atte-Bower, said yesterday: "Godzilla hates to be away from Buster.

"He managed to open the garden gate and wandered the half-mile to the school yesterday afternoon to meet him when he came out. Buster simply said: 'Come on, you.' Godzilla followed him home like a lamb."

David Hazelwood, who was in the area visiting his brother, said: "We tried for two hours to block it in. Then the young owner came along, pulled it round and walked away with it with little effort."

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2001.

"Ostracised from the community,
Godzilla is persuaded to return
home by his owner, Buster Cook."

Godzilla© ain't no stinkin ostrich.

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