UPDATE: It has been confirmed that the escaped rhea has been found and hopes are high that he can be safely returned home over the coming week.

The bird had been on the run in the Cornish countryside, but thanks to an eagle-eyed passing policeman, Aaron was spotted "in a bush" close to Tregony yesterday.

Rose May, the bird's owner has said that when approached Aaron headed out across the River Fal and found himself in a well fenced field.

A trap has been built and once he has got used to it he will be taken away and head to his new home in Penzance, if all goes to plan.

------------------------------------------------------------

A 'stroppy' ostrich type bird is still loose in the countryside despite a search by police, the RSPCA and its owner.

Police first received a report of the bird between Tregony and Ruanlanihorne after a report from a motorist just after 8am yesterday morning.

Police cars were sent out from Truro to hunt for the bird, with the advice to keep it penned in if at all possible.

The report said that when approched it "got stroppy and ran off into a field". However it's owner told officers that the animal was probably more scared of people that the other way round. And that if not recaptured it would probably starve.

The two-year-old rhea, called Aaron, is reported to have jumped a fence at its enclosure in Tregony as it was being transported to an new home near Penzance.

The owner can be contacted on 01872 530584.

Local vets were contacted about their ability to help deal with the creature, should it be caught, however police were told that none locally had the equipment to help.

The RSPCA were called and efforts were made to find out if any ostrich farms were in the area, and whether they were missing a bird. While one was found, it reported that none of his animals wree missing.

The onwer was eventually traced and police and the RSPCA met up in a nearby industrial estate to plan the best way forward shortly after 9am.

By 10am the owner had arriived and confirmed the creature was a Rhea, that had made good its escape from a its enclosure in Tregony

The owner told police that the animal was probably more scared of people that the other way round. And that if not recaptured it would probably starve.

Shortly after the search was called off as it was thought that the bird had "gone to ground" in the countryside.

Anyone who spots the creature should contact police on 101 quoting ref 137 of 22/10/2013.