Authorities chase down runaway ostriches in Taber, Alta.

It was a strange situation in one southern Alberta community on Thursday where police were called to help wrangle some runaway ostriches.

In a viewer video sent to CTV News, RCMP officers in Taber, Alta., are seen driving in marked cruisers trying to head off one of the birds that was running down a street.

The first cruiser, with the ostrich owner in the passenger seat, is unable stop the bird, which stumbles and runs off to be chased by another RCMP member in a marked cruiser.

The Taber Police Service said the incident took place on Thursday morning.

"Members of the Taber Police Service and the TPS Regional Community Standards Unit dealt with a number of ostrich within Town of Taber limits," the agency wrote on Facebook.

"The group made their way out of town where they created traffic hazards. Taber Police Service members assisted the RCMP in confining the birds so the owners could safely capture them."

Destiny Nanaquewetung, the woman who shot the video, told CTV News she "thought she was seeing things" when she witnessed the scene.

"I noticed there was an ostrich running down the road," she said. "It's not something you see every day. It was really weird."

Despite that, she says the situation really made her day.

"(My day) started out a little rough but it definitely made it better, seeing an ostrich running down the highway."

RCMP say they responded to the area of Highway 36 and Township Road 94 for "reports of ostriches."

"RCMP determined that approximately 20 ostriches escaped their enclosure and were loose," police said in a release.

"Over the last several hours, RCMP have supported the farmer in locating and capturing the loose birds. A video taken by a local resident that has been provided to media depicts an RCMP police car with the ostrich owner riding on the passenger side grabbing one of the ostriches."

By 12:30 p.m., the majority of the ostriches were recaptured, but police are continuing to help the owner recover those that have yet to be caught.

Unfortunately, one of the birds was struck and killed during the events on Thursday morning, police said.

Taber is located approximately 260 kilometres southeast of Calgary.