Emus are about 6 feet tall, they can't fly, and they can run up to 30 miles per hour.
This week, two of them made a run for it.
One led deputies on a chaotic roadside chase in South Carolina. The other disappeared into the woods of New Jersey's Pine Barrens. Here's how each great escape ended.
Emu No. 1: The One the Deputies Couldn't Catch
Last weekend, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office got a call that isn't in the training manual: an emu running loose on Highway 418 in Pelzer, South Carolina.
Deputies headed out to handle it. The emu had other plans.
In video the sheriff's office posted to Facebook, deputies can be seen trying to grab the giant bird and failing again and again. Eventually they called for backup and used their patrol cars to box the emu in so it couldn't run back into traffic.
Even then, it took an outside expert to finish the job. A local resident with experience handling emus volunteered to help, and together they finally captured the bird safely.
A Brand-New Home
Animal control arrived to take over. The emu, whose name turned out to be Limu, didn't go back to where he came from. Instead, he was rehomed to an emu farm in nearby Honea Path, where he'll be surrounded by birds his own size.
Not a bad ending for a bird who outran half a sheriff's department.
Emu No. 2: Lost in the Pine Barrens
Around the same time, about 700 miles north, New Jersey State Park Police got their own strange report.
At about 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, officers responded to a sighting of an emu in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, deep in the Pine Barrens. They spotted the bird, and it promptly took off running.
Officials warned visitors not to chase or approach the emu, which can become aggressive if it feels cornered. Anyone who saw it was asked to call police instead.
The Pine Barrens already have a reputation for strange sightings. It's home to the legend of the Jersey Devil, and just weeks earlier a couple claimed they saw Bigfoot crossing a road nearby. This time, at least, nobody doubted what they were seeing.
Sweet Pea Goes Home
After an extensive search, there was good news. By Thursday evening, the emu, named Sweet Pea, had been found and safely returned to her owner.
What to Do If You See a Loose Emu
It may sound like a joke, but emus get loose more often than you'd think. If you ever spot one, officials say to keep your distance, don't chase it, and call local police or animal control. Emus have powerful legs, they're much faster than people, and a frightened one can kick hard.
Two emus, two escapes, two happy endings. One went back to the home she knew, and the other got a brand-new one. Not bad for a week on the run.
