KENANSVILLE, Fla. — It can’t fly, but when you’re the world’s largest living bird and can run faster than many animals, who needs wings?

Meet the ostrich, one of the remarkable animals visitors can discover while traveling through Wild Florida Adventure Park’s Drive-Thru Safari Park in Kenansville.

Native to Africa, ostriches can tower over a person, with large males capable of reaching heights of around 9 feet.

But their size isn’t the only impressive number.

Ostriches are exceptionally fast runners and can reach speeds of roughly 40 miles per hour or more for short periods. Their long, powerful legs help them cover large distances quickly.

Those feet are unusual, too.

Unlike most birds, which have three or four toes, an ostrich has only two toes on each foot — another adaptation associated with life spent running across open ground.

And then there are the eggs.

Ostriches lay the largest eggs of any living bird. A single ostrich egg can weigh several pounds, although relative to the enormous size of the adult bird, the egg isn’t quite as oversized as people might expect.

There’s also one famous ostrich myth worth clearing up: ostriches don’t actually bury their heads in the sand to hide from danger.

Seeing one standing just beyond your vehicle is a much better way to appreciate how extraordinary these birds really are.

At Wild Florida, ostriches are part of a 170-acre Drive-Thru Safari Park featuring more than 150 exotic and native animals along a four-mile route.

Visitors can encounter giraffes, zebras, bison, wildebeest, camels, Watusi cattle and other animals without leaving their own vehicle.

Afterward, families can explore Wild Florida’s Gator Park or climb aboard an airboat for a ride through the Headwaters of the Florida Everglades.

The world’s largest bird is waiting — and you won’t need binoculars from thousands of miles away to see it.

Wild Florida Adventure Park is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed Sundays. Reservations can be made Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wild Florida is located at 3301 Lake Cypress Road, Kenansville, FL 34739.

For reservations or additional information, call 407-957-3135 or toll-free at 866-532-7167, or email info@wildfl.com.

Guests can also book a Wild Florida airboat adventure online.

Come meet the ostriches, take the four-mile safari and discover just how big — and fast — the bird world can get.