Police pursuit of emu is just part of ‘life of a country cop’
Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Police chased an emu off Cargo Road near Orange, New South Wales, after the bird disrupted traffic.
- NSW Police shared footage of the pursuit, which attracted more than 86,000 views.
- Authorities said no people or emus were harmed, while wildlife rescuers warned that native animals can behave unpredictably when threatened.
A young New South Wales police officer chased an emu down a country road, and the unusual pursuit has since attracted more than 86,000 views online.
Officers received several calls about the tall flightless bird running across Cargo Road at Nashdale, west of Orange, and blocking traffic. Chief Inspector David Abercrombie said the “keen, young” constable chose to chase the emu from the road.
If anyone asked me to chase an emu, it’d be more like watching a startled gazelle on Prozac.
Abercrombie said he was glad he had not been the officer involved. “If anyone asked me to chase an emu, it’d be more like watching a startled gazelle on Prozac,” he said. “My speed would not be up to scratch.”
My speed would not be up to scratch.
NSW Police filmed the incident and posted it online. Abercrombie later joked that, because he learned about it only afterward, he had been “more like an ostrich with [his] head in the sand.” Traffic returned to normal soon after, and police said neither the emu nor any person was hurt. The young constable was reportedly excited that the video had gone viral.
The emu’s origin and destination remain unclear. Local resident Caro Webster said she had never seen or heard of one running along Cargo Road, where she had seen cows, sheep, kangaroos, wallabies, dogs, cats and echidnas. WIRES rescue group representative John Grant said the public should keep its distance from adult wildlife, which can act unpredictably when threatened. He added that some emus may be former pets released when they become difficult to handle, and reminded people that keeping or handling native animals is an offence because Australian wildlife is protected by law.
I have never in my life seen or heard of an emu running down Cargo Road before.
About this summary
Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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