They’re scruffy but elegant, powerful but gentle and so much fun to watch. Meet the emu, the second-largest bird in the world after the ostrich.
Emus can’t fly but can run very fast. An emu’s small, palm-size wings are hidden under a mound of feathers and help it balance as it runs at speeds up to 30 mph.
Native to Australia, emus won’t be found in the wild in the United States, but they are popular farm animals here. Some are raised for meat, leather or oil, some are pets, and some serve as effective guard animals, protecting other farm life from predators such as foxes or coyotes.
Emus use their powerful legs and three-toed feet defensively when threatened, but if treated gently, they are calm, curious and playful birds.
“They will run just ahead of you for a bit, turn around and look you in the eye, then take off full speed, stop and look back at you like, ‘Come on, slowpoke!’ ” said Lolly Busey, volunteer coordinator at Rikki’s Refuge Animal Sanctuary in Orange, Va.
At Liberty Farm in Paris, Va., also an animal rescue farm, this KidsPost reporter heard a “boom boom boom” sound coming from a female emu. The sound, made by the bird’s throat muscles, is often referred to as “drumming” because it sounds as if someone is beating a bongo drum with the palm of the hand. Males often make a grunting sound.
Liberty’s 18 emus join goats, sheep, alpacas and other animals roaming 64 acres of gently rolling terrain.
“This is their forever-farm,” said Martha Boneta, the farm’s owner.
Rikki’s also has a variety of animals, including seven emus, who love eating broccoli from visitors’ hands.
Some emus, such as Liberty’s Lollipop, come to rescue farms from owners who can no longer care for them. Bonne Chance, meaning “good luck” in French, was found wandering along a road after being struck by a car. Rikki’s acquired a pair of 2-week-old chicks — Peepers and Phoebe — hatched for a school project. Emus grow quickly — by 1 year old they can be between 5 and 6 feet tall — and need lots of room to roam.
Boneta said that emus always remind her of the Dr. Seuss story “Green Eggs and Ham” because their huge eggs really are green.
The male emu builds the nest in brush piles on the ground or in wooded areas, so the color helps hide the eggs from predators. After the female lays her eggs, the male sits on them for about eight weeks until they hatch. Then, he raises the chicks, constantly staying by their side for about six months.
Watching as her emus grazed with other farm animals, Boneta smiled, recalling a phrase first found in the Bible’s Old Testament and often illustrated in art and literature. “This is my peaceable kingdom,” she said.
