SEOUL - An ostrich that escaped from a zoo in the South Korean town of Seongnam has been captured, local authorities said on Tuesday, after it spent an hour dodging vehicles in heavy traffic, surprising many drivers.

Witnesses posted pictures and video of the male ostrich named Tadori on social media, after he broke free from a zoo named Bug City and found himself trotting speedily past and across traffic, a local policeman said.

Police and a local fire department captured the bird using a net at a car park about 2.6 kilometers from the zoo, located about half an hour south of Seoul.

The four-year-old ostrich was safe and returned to the zoo in stable condition, zoo owner Choi Yun-joo told Reuters.

"His only friend, a female ostrich Tasooni, passed away about a month ago. Guess that has been tough on Tadori," Choi said.