CHATSWORTH : Valuable Ostrich Chicks Stolen

In the second such case reported in the San Fernando Valley in as many months, 11 baby ostriches valued at $49,500 have been stolen from a Chatsworth ranch.

Authorities say it appears to be an inside job.

“The whole thing comes down to one word--money,” said Lt. Richard Felosky of the city’s West Valley Animal Care and Control Center. “From what I understand, a lot of this goes on because these are expensive animals.”

Police refused to release the name of the ranch or its location, saying they were protecting the security of the owner.

The 11 chicks are about two months old, weigh 15 pounds and stand three feet tall, police said.

“Somebody somewhere knows something about this,” Felosky said. “Anyone who sees these things next door to them is probably saying, ‘What in the name of God is that animal?’ ”

Detective Robert Muldrew of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Division said police don’t have a suspect or know the whereabouts of the birds.

Felosky said several factors lead him to believe that the theft was an inside job.

“Who’s going to go up to a bird that’s as large as that without knowing something about it?” he asked, adding that although the young birds are relatively harmless, full-grown ostriches weigh several hundred pounds and defend themselves with kicks that can break limbs.

“It’s a peculiar place to get in and out of,” Felosky said. “And obviously, they would have to have the opportunity to know that (the ostriches) were there to begin with.”

The latest theft follows the arrest in August of a Sun Valley man for allegedly stealing seven ostriches valued at more than $40,000 from a Canoga Park hatchery where he had worked.