Emu caught by Hong Kong authorities in car park after 3-hour chase in New Territories
- Authorities catch large flightless bird at 9.50am, hours after police receive reports of emu running in New Territories
- Viral videos show bird racing cars and going to public housing estate, before wildlife officials and SPCA track it to Wetland Park
Hong Kong wildlife authorities recovered an emu that ran amok in the northern New Territories for three hours on Saturday, with the flightless bird earlier spotted attempting to race motorists and strolling through a public housing estate.
Police received a report at 7.18am of the large flightless bird wandering along an intersection of Tin Sau Road and Tin Ying Road in Tin Shui Wai, before it was later spotted on Wetland Park Road at 9.13am.
Videos that went viral online showed the emu racing cars and going to a public housing estate, while a driver in another clip could be seen swerving to avoid the bird as it runs in the opposite direction of traffic along Tin Ying Road.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said the emu was captured by police and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) staff at around 9.50am. The department took the bird to one of its animal management centres for observation.
“After an initial examination by the department’s vet, it was discovered that the emu was in acceptable medical condition besides a small amount of scratches on its body,” a spokesman said. “The department will follow up and investigate.”
The SPCA told the Post in a reply that its inspectors managed to capture the emu after it entered the Hong Kong Wetland Park, with an initial inspection suggesting the bird was uninjured.
The SPCA said its inspectors managed to capture the emu after it entered the Hong Kong Wetland Park, with an initial inspection suggesting the bird was uninjured.
A park employee told local media the emu could belong to a private farm in the area.
Emu are relatives of the common ostrich and share a similar appearance, but are smaller in size and found in Australia rather than Africa.
The birds also boast a shorter wing span, with smaller necks covered in feathers and three toes per foot rather than two.
Hong Kong Bird Watching Society director Yu Yat-tung said the emu was likely to have come to the city through human means, since it was neither native to the area nor a migratory species.
He also warned the public against approaching an emu, even if they had experience dealing with birds.
“Residents should leave it to professionals to handle the animal if they come across one, no matter if it is the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” he said.
