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Emu caught after running loose in New Jersey

The West Australian
Mess with emus and you could find yourself eviscerated.
Camera IconMess with emus and you could find yourself eviscerated. Credit: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian

An emu has been caught after it ran loose in New Jersey.

Animal control officers were called out to capture the flightless bird, which was spotted running amok in the city of Paterson.

The emu was caught by the officers and taken to a shelter, with the authorities trying to figure out where it escaped from.

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Animal control officer John DeCando described the strange incident as “hilarious”.

He told local media: “I mean, I’ve seen elephants running down the street. I’ve seen geese, I’ve seen just about everything, but an emu like this, the lady said, ‘It was like something from outer space’ - so was it hilarious, yes, but thank god nobody got hurt.”

While New Jersey may be a stretch, it’s not the first time an emu has strayed from its natural habitat.

Closer to home, an emu caused chaos for Perth motorists in October last year after it was found sprinting along Kwinana Freeway.

The emu was running free in the northbound lanes, near the Russell Road off-ramp, in Success.

Those driving past said a Perth police officer had been called to the scene to try to wrangle the stray emu on a busy section of road where speeds top 80km/h.

The tussle was no mean feat and certainly not for the faint-hearted given emus huge toe claws are capable of eviscerating animals under the right conditions, particularly if cornered, making it one of the most dangerous birds in the world.

The Australian native is the second-largest living bird by height after the ostrich, reaching between 1.6m and 1.9m when standing erect.

It may not be able to fly, but it can reach up to 50km per hour thanks to its powerful legs.

Operation Emu proved successful, however, and Main Roads confirmed the animal had been ushered into the safety of a nearby bush reserve.

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