news, local-news

It took three police officers and four of Hunter Valley Zoo’s finest to bring down the notorious emu that was running amok all over Bellbird on Wednesday morning. The rogue emu had been on the loose for the past two months according to authorities, with sightings in Ellalong, Paxton, Millfield and Pelton. However his run finally came to an end when police were able to corner him in the backyard of an Edden Street home. Despite successfully breaking away and making a good run for it, the zookeepers were hot on the emu’s tail and were able to tackle him as he attempted to jump a fence on nearby Bilby Close. Hunter Valley Zoo’s Jason Pearson said that they had been after the emu for months and that they had received numerous calls from local residents who had spotted him on Wollombi Road and later on Kendall and Edden Streets. Despite receiving a deep cut to his hand, Mr. Pearson said that it was quite a successful capture given the circumstances. “Emu’s can be very difficult to catch so all up today went pretty well,” he said. “We have been liaising with the national parks for quite some time now about this one so it’s good we finally got him.” Cessnock police officer Matt Nicholson said that emu wrangling was not something that they teach at police academy, but that it was definitely good experience for probationary officer Jason Zaicos, who was in his first week on the job. Officer Nicholson also commented that the emu would make a good footy player, after he managed to get away from his would-be capturers with some tactful, Benji Marshall-style side steps. Even with a few ruffled feathers, after he was eventually apprehended the emu was safely placed into a wooden box for transport to Hunter Valley Zoo where he will be put into quarantine and later released into their emu enclosure. Where exactly he had come from and just what he was running from is still unknown, however it is hoped that his days of running amok on the streets of Cessnock are well and truly over. *** UPDATE: A second emu was spotted on Friday morning on Ellalong Road between Ellalong and Pelton. *** Has an emu been seen in your neighbourhood? Send in your tips and photos to jessica.willard@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

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