When their pet bird Basil went missing, owners Sophie Wills, her husband Robin and their two children were hopeful of finding him quickly. After all, at more than 5ft tall, the 13-year-old rhea - a flightless African bird resembling an emu - should have been easy to spot roaming the English countryside.
But it took more than five days and a huge search using thermal imaging cameras to find their feathered friend - proving much harder than they initially thought. It all began when Basil jumped a fence in the field where he lives in Rushden, Northamptonshire, after being spooked by hounds from a local hunt.
