A wayward emu is on the loose in Harrison County after spooking a rancher’s livestock for two weeks. Brad Martin said his son and nephew were heading to the family fishing hole on a summer afternoon when they spotted the unwelcome guest.
“They came running up to the house, yelling, ‘Daddy, there’s a prehistoric animal at the pond!’ ” Martin said.
When Martin investigated, he found an emu: a shaggy, flightless bird of Australian origin. Emus had been the objects of a farming fad that faded in the 1990s. The birds are none too bright, he added.
“It was real gentle, just dumb as a rock, though,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe how dumb they are. The gate was open, and he’d just run back and forth. The dogs would get after him, and he wouldn’t take off down the pasture to get away from them. He’d jump up and down and do all kinds of crazy stuff.”
Martin could not find the owner. He thought about giving away the emu, but he didn’t have a trailer to transport it, and even if he did, he said he wouldn’t have known how to load the seven-foot-tall bird.
Meanwhile, the emu was “rampaging” on his property. “It wasn’t afraid of nothing,” Martin said. “It was just scaring the horses and the cows and dogs to death because they’re not used to nothing like that. It would get out there beside the fence and run up and down the fence. The cows wouldn’t eat, the horses wouldn’t eat, the dogs kept barking, and finally we let the gate open and let it go.”
Martin shooed the emu away from his property on Dehart Road, east of Diana. If any neighbors come across the wandering bird, they may report it to their county sheriff.
Kenneth “Al” Howe, the president of the Texas Emu Association, was pretty miffed when he heard that Martin had turned out the emu. He said Martin should have alerted the emu association or animal control authorities to remove the bird. He said when the market for emu meat failed to materialize in the ’90s, many speculators around East Texas and elsewhere released their flocks. Some are still laying eggs in the wild.
“Most that haven’t been hit by cars or killed by predators are pretty well hidden,” said Howe, who lives in Central Texas. “A lot of people who have big farms know they’ve got them, but they don’t bother them.”
An emu processing plant once operated in Longview but closed in the late 1990s. Emu oil is still used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, and Howe predicts that demand will increase in the next couple of years.
In Diana, Martin said the emu had his Red Brangus cows scattering in every direction.
“Talk about fast, when it decides to go it’s going,” Martin said. “It was a pretty wild little old experience.”
The rancher figures he hasn’t seen the last of the errant emu. “I’m sure it’s around here somewhere,” he said. “I bet it ain’t gone too far down the line.”
AN UPDATE
The day after the story about the emu appeared in the local newspaper, a Diana woman named Anita Davis called in. She thinks it’s her bird. His name is Bud. He’s 16 years old, and he’s been on his own for quite some time.
“Everybody knew my emu had gotten out, but it’s been out for six months and I just assumed it was dead,” she said.
If this emu is indeed Bud, he hasn’t wandered far in the past half-year. The Martin place is less than a mile from Davis’s spread.
“I just really feel like this is my emu,” she said.
According to Davis, Martin’s description of Bud — gentle but dumb as rocks — was pretty accurate. “He’s tame,” she said. “He was a pet when I had him, but he got out through the gate, and we couldn’t catch him.”
Davis and her husband have one emu left, Bud’s father. At one time, the Davises owned 101 emus, but they gave away almost all of the others when a market for emu meat didn’t materialize.
While some emu enthusiasts swear by the birds’ lean flesh, Davis said she doesn’t partake. “If I was starving I could probably have eaten it, but I can’t eat something I’ve given a name to,” she said.
If anybody finds Bud, Davis requests that they give her a call. Don’t try to catch him, she added.
“The males are very friendly, and that’s why they can pet him,” she said. However, “you have to know how to handle an emu or they can get hurt really bad.”
Since the newspaper story came out, Davis said her husband has heard from other neighbors who have seen Bud. “He may not want to come home,” she joked. “It sounds like he’s having a good time.”
5,222 responses to “Emu on the run”
Hi, I do believe your website could possibly be having web browser compatibility problems. Whenever I look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in IE, it’s got some overlapping issues. I simply wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Apart from that, wonderful blog.
An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me breakfast because I stumbled upon it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this issue here on your web site.
I used to be able to find good information from your blog articles.
I found your weblog web site on google and test just a few of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Searching for forward to studying extra from you afterward!?
This is a very good tip particularly to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate info… Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read article.
How to Use DeFiLlama: A Practical Guide for Navigating DeFi Analytics
Great info. Lucky me I ran across your website by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later!
A person essentially help to make seriously posts I would state. This is the very first time I frequented your web page and thus far? I surprised with the research you made to make this particular publish incredible. Great job!
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon everyday. It’s always useful to read through content from other writers and use a little something from their web sites.
After I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I recieve four emails with the same comment. Is there a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks a lot.
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you so much, However I am having issues with your RSS. I don’t know why I cannot join it. Is there anybody getting similar RSS issues? Anyone that knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
After checking out a handful of the blog posts on your site, I seriously like your technique of writing a blog. I book-marked it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website as well and let me know how you feel.
I just like the valuable information you supply for your articles. I will bookmark your blog and check again here regularly. I am moderately sure I will be informed many new stuff proper right here! Good luck for the next!
It’s nearly impossible to find well-informed people on this topic, however, you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Post writing is also a fun, if you be familiar with then you can write or else it is complicated to write.
I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this site. I am hoping to view the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own blog now 😉
Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to return once again since i have book-marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
I use DefiLlama to spot protocol growth trends before they go viral.
If you’re overwhelmed by DeFi, start with the DefiLlama Dashboard — it makes things clear.
Hey there! I simply want to offer you a big thumbs up for your great info you have here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your blog for more soon.
I really like it when individuals get together and share opinions. Great site, continue the good work!
WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..extra wait .. ?