An Emu Named Sweet Pea Ran Loose in the New Jersey Pine Barrens for Days. Hikers Found Her on a Trail.

BRENDAN T. BYRNE STATE FOREST, N.J., Nov. 13, 2026 — Todd Topham was riding his bike through Brendan T. Byrne State Forest on Monday afternoon when something tall and feathered stepped out of the woods and into the middle of the trail.

"She just kind of looked at me and I didn't move. And then she turned around and just started to walk away. So I followed her and then she started to run," Topham told NJ.com.

It was an emu, a long way from Australia and a short way from home. Topham posted about the sighting on Facebook, and the bird's owner answered. Her name is Sweet Pea, she had escaped from his place on Pasadena Road near the park, and she is domesticated. She loves bananas and having her head scratched, Topham said. Her owner had searched for her until about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

New Jersey State Park Police found her Monday too, but she fled the area on foot, FOX 29 Philadelphia reported. After that, officers kept watch on the forest while the state Department of Environmental Protection asked visitors not to chase or approach her, UPI reported. Even a friendly emu has powerful legs and sharp talons, and an emu farmer warned that they can turn aggressive when they're scared or pursued.

On Thursday afternoon, two people walking a trail in the forest came across Sweet Pea. They called park police and stayed with her until her owner and Topham arrived. The two men tied her legs with rope and loaded her into the back of a truck for the ride home, NJ.com reported.

After days on her own in the Pine Barrens, Topham said, she didn't have a scratch on her.