Second Loose Emu in a Week Chased Through Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct 22 — Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputies chased a loose emu through the streets on Saturday night, Oct. 17, just days after the California Highway Patrol corralled a completely different emu nearby, the New York Post and UPI reported.

Santa Cruz has had a very emu week.

It started midweek. CHP Santa Cruz got numerous calls from drivers about an emu walking into traffic. Officers responded, and the bird's owner showed up quickly.

"Fortunately, the Emu's owner quickly arrived on the scene, and we managed to safely corral their feathery friend," CHP Santa Cruz posted on Wednesday, according to the New York Post. The agency thanked everyone who called in.

That should have been the end of the emu news for a while. It was not.

On Saturday night, it was the sheriff's office's turn. Deputies were filmed chasing a second emu on foot through the streets, working to keep the big bird out of traffic until its owner arrived. The office posted the video to Facebook.

"Apparently 'keeping the peace' sometimes translates to keeping an emu out of traffic long enough for its owner to come get it," the sheriff's office wrote, according to both outlets.

Naturally, people assumed the first emu had gotten loose again. The sheriff's office shut that down fast.

"And no this is not a repeat offender from the CHP Santa Cruz emu incident. Different bird, same agenda: wreak havoc," the office wrote, as quoted by the New York Post. UPI also reported that the sheriff's office confirmed it was not the same bird.

So, to be clear: two emus, two agencies, one week, one county. Neither bird appears to have been hurt, and both chases ended with an owner showing up to collect.

It is not hard to see why a loose emu becomes a whole operation. These are large, fast, flightless birds that do not take directions, and they do not care much about crosswalks. Keeping one out of traffic is less like catching a pet and more like herding a very confused feathered linebacker.

Online, commenters went straight for the obvious insurance-commercial jokes, the New York Post noted. One suggested the bird was just checking whether a homeowner had car insurance.

There is no word on what is drawing emus to the roads of Santa Cruz this month, or whether the two owners know each other. But local drivers may want to keep an eye out. At this point, a third emu would not be a surprise. It would be a trend.

> What We Know
> - Emu No. 1: Walked into traffic midweek; corralled by CHP Santa Cruz with its owner's help
> - Emu No. 2: Chased on foot by Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputies on Saturday night, Oct. 17
> - Same bird? No. The sheriff's office confirmed it was a different emu.
> - Outcome: Both birds held until their owners arrived
> - Official summary: "Different bird, same agenda: wreak havoc."

Reported by New York Post, UPI, KCRA

Clown verdict: One emu is an accident. Two emus is a movement.

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<small>Photo: Mathias Appel, Wikimedia Commons, CC0. Clown emoji: OpenMoji, CC BY-SA 4.0.</small>

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