Feathered Farm Carries Political History

Once the pampered pets of regional strongman Aslan Abashidze, the ostriches had their fate rewritten in May 2004 when Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ousted Abashidze from power in the Black Sea region of Achara. With Abashidze’s stables - both political and animal - cleaned out, his 25 ostriches needed a new home.

While most of the ostriches did not survive the transfer to a horse-breeding farm 30 kilometers south of the Georgian capital, six still race through the pens unsure what the future will bring.