An escaped emu that ran amok in peak-hour traffic in a Canadian town was tasered by Mounties when they couldn't catch it.

The big bird, named Parker, took off from his farm in Chemainus on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and blocked traffic on the main street.

Described as 160cm tall, and weighing 45 kilograms, the agitated and aggressive bird could not be tamed by the Coastal Animal Control so the Royal Canadian Mounted Police shocked it with a taser.

Parker the offending emu. (Supplied)

The emu was then taken to a neighbour's farm, who said the bird had a penchant for trying to spread his wings.

"We were trying to cajole him into my property to catch him and they ended up tasering him," Jim Dyke told CTV News.

He said there were other ways to catch an emu.

Neighbour Jim Dyke said the emu has escaped before. (Supplied)

"You jump on their back and grab them by the wings, they have little wings," Mr Dyke said.

Emus are native to Australia, so it is likely Parker is being kept as a pet or as part of a farm.