​AS MANY single men will no doubt agree, impressing the ladies can be a tough call. And, with Valentine's Day just round the corner, although some men may be grateful to be spared the expense and possible complaints from Her Indoors that February 14 can bring, others will have love in mind.

One of these is Kevin the ostrich. Kevin lives in the rhinos' paddock at Port Lympne and, as the horny beasts are not his cup of tea, has been looking elsewhere for the woman of his dreams. But this is the point at which taste, and even species prejudice, leave the equation.

When a male ostrich sees a bird he fancies, he crouches down and launches into an impressive courtship display. Wings outspread and fluttering, his neck swoops from side to side in an attempt to win his lady over.

But Kevin, obviously either desperate or slightly confused, or both, has been performing in such a way to just about anyone who comes his way, whether they be human, equine, male, female - or even a tractor.

Port Lympne's animal director Adrian Harland said: "Kevin tends to get a bit carried away with his courtship displays, and it is quite a peculiar sight for anyone meeting him for the first time.

"The ostrich breeding season starts in March and can last until September, but Kevin is warming up early this year. "As he is separate from the lady ostriches he can get a bit frustrated, but is not one to miss out on any opportunity for love - no matter how unlikely!

"The girls in the office used to be quite flattered by his vigorous attempts to catch their eye, until I explained to them that he struts his stuff to passing zebras, tractors, and even Dennis from accounts."

For anyone that does not have the benefit of knowing in advance what Kevin is capable of, it must be a surprising sight. But even with the foreknowledge, to see this ungainly creature come galloping across the field, head high, before sinking to his haunches and starting his routine is a unique experience.

With every flourish of his long neck, Kevin's head hits his body with a dull thud, accompanied by a flirtatious flutter of feathers and a cheeky shimmy of his wings. He keeps it up for minutes and, when it is all over, rushes up to the fence, beak agape, with a questioning look in his eye, as if to ask "Well?"

But the answer, sadly, is a resounding "Not well enough". No matter how spectacularly Kevin performs or for how long, or even if he manages to aim his display at a bird of the right species, as ostriches are not endangered and because the park has as many as it wants, Kevin is not to be allowed to breed in the foreseeable future.

And, as his keeper Nick Turk explained: "It's been so long, he probably wouldn't know what to do anyway."

For more information on Port Lympne, visit www.totallywild.net or call the park

on 01303 264647.