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.”
3,534 responses to “Emu on the run”
I enjoy reading an article that can make men and women think. Also, many thanks for permitting me to comment.
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this post! It’s the little changes which will make the most important changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Great information. Lucky me I found your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
Howdy! I simply would like to offer you a huge thumbs up for the great info you’ve got right here on this post. I’ll be coming back to your site for more soon.
Excellent post! We are linking to this particularly great article on our website. Keep up the great writing.
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Well written.
Hi, I do think this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will come back yet again since I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help other people.
Greetings! Very useful advice within this post! It’s the little changes that make the largest changes. Many thanks for sharing!
Good web site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he actually bought me lunch due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to talk about this matter here on your internet site.
Hello would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re using? I’m planning to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!
Wow that was strange. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say great blog!
Hey! Quick question that’s completely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My site looks weird when viewing from my apple iphone. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able to fix this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share. Thank you!
Your style is so unique in comparison to other folks I have read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this page.
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this web site.
Hey there! I simply would like to offer you a huge thumbs up for the excellent info you’ve got right here on this post. I am coming back to your site for more soon.
Hey, you used to write great, but the last few posts have been kinda boring? I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!
Good post. I learn something totally new and challenging on blogs I stumbleupon on a daily basis. It’s always exciting to read articles from other writers and practice something from other web sites.
Everyone loves it whenever people come together and share views. Great blog, keep it up.
Hi, I do believe this is a great web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will revisit once again since I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Many thanks, However I am going through difficulties with your RSS. I don’t know why I can’t join it. Is there anyone else getting the same RSS problems? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanks!!
bookmarked!!, I like your blog!
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn’t disappoint me just as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I truly thought you would have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this blog.
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a co-worker who was doing a little research on this. And he in fact bought me dinner due to the fact that I found it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to discuss this topic here on your internet site.
Hi there! This article could not be written any better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I am going to send this information to him. Fairly certain he will have a great read. Many thanks for sharing!
Your style is very unique compared to other people I’ve read stuff from. Thank you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this web site.
This is a topic that is near to my heart… Take care! Exactly where can I find the contact details for questions?
It?s exhausting to search out knowledgeable people on this subject, but you sound like you understand what you?re talking about! Thanks
It is best to participate in a contest for among the finest blogs on the web. I’ll recommend this web site!
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I do think that you should publish more about this issue, it might not be a taboo matter but generally folks don’t speak about these issues. To the next! All the best!
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Many thanks, However I am going through issues with your RSS. I don’t know the reason why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody having similar RSS issues? Anybody who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
Very good information. Lucky me I ran across your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve bookmarked it for later!
Can I simply say what a relief to uncover somebody who really knows what they’re discussing over the internet. You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people have to look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you surely possess the gift.
Right here is the perfect webpage for anybody who really wants to find out about this topic. You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a subject which has been written about for years. Wonderful stuff, just wonderful.
When I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the same comment. There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service? Thank you.
??? ????
It’s hard to come by experienced people for this subject, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Spot on with this write-up, I absolutely believe that this amazing site needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read more, thanks for the info.
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying this information.
Aw, this was an incredibly good post. Taking a few minutes and actual effort to produce a superb article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and never seem to get nearly anything done.
I blog frequently and I really thank you for your content. The article has really peaked my interest. I am going to take a note of your blog and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed too.
Great paintings! This is the kind of info that should be shared across the web. Disgrace on the seek engines for not positioning this post higher! Come on over and consult with my web site . Thanks =)
I can’t express how much I appreciate the effort the author has put into producing this outstanding piece of content. The clarity of the writing, the depth of analysis, and the plethora of information offered are simply remarkable. Her zeal for the subject is apparent, and it has certainly resonated with me. Thank you, author, for offering your wisdom and enriching our lives with this incredible article!
F*ckin? remarkable things here. I am very glad to see your article. Thanks a lot and i am looking forward to contact you. Will you please drop me a e-mail?
This is a topic that’s close to my heart… Best wishes! Exactly where are your contact details though?
Saved as a favorite, I like your web site!
I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this blog. I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content by you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own website now 😉
It’s hard to find educated people about this topic, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Hi there! This blog post couldn’t be written any better! Looking at this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a very good read. Many thanks for sharing!