Colorado deputy wrangles escaped emu wandering roadway, bodycam video shows

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Colorado deputy wrangles escaped emu

A sheriff’s deputy in Weld County, Colorado, wrangled an emu named Buddy after the flightless bird escaped his owner and was found wandering a road. (Credit: Weld County Sheriff’s Office)

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A Colorado sheriff’s deputy wrangled an escaped emu that was spotted wandering a road on Tuesday.

A sheriff’s patrol and animal control officers (ACO) responded to a call of an “ostrich in the roadway” near Weld County Roads 76 and 33, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office said. 

However, instead of finding the world’s tallest bird, the arriving deputy discovered the wayward emu, which, according to the Denver Zoo, is the second-largest flightless bird in the world.

“Our ACO’s and patrol got to utilize their ‘contain and capture’ skills and were able to safely hold the emu in a nearby fenced residential yard (with the owner’s permission),” the sheriff’s office said.

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A Weld County Sheriff’s deputy grabbed a hold of Buddy the emu through his patrol car’s window. (Weld County Sheriff’s Office)

The sheriff’s office shared video of a deputy wrangling the emu through his patrol car window and leading the big bird to a fenced area nearby.

The deputy led the escapee to a fenced area nearby. (Weld County Sheriff’s Office)

A public information officer from the Greeley Police Department joked, “Props for not giving into the intrusive thoughts of hopping on it and riding it back.”  

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After the emu was safely wrangled, a passerby who witnessed the spectacle identified the emu’s owner, whom deputies then contacted.

Buddy’s owner came to pick up the escaped pet. (Weld County Sheriff’s Office)

The owner came to pick up his pet emu, who officials said he had “affectionately” named Buddy. 

“We are grateful Buddy is back home with his family,” the sheriff’s office said, thanking the owner for letting them share “this delightful story” with the public.

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Emus are legal to have as pets in Weld County, according to the sheriff’s office. It was unclear how the emu escaped from its owner.