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An agitated big bird blocked a Vancouver Island highway Tuesday morning and got Tasered by police as a result.

North Cowichan-Duncan RCMP say they encountered an emu that had escaped from a nearby farm disrupting traffic in the 8000-block Chemainus Road around 9:45 a.m.

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The five-foot-seven, 100-pound bird was a “safety concern for passing motorists, pedestrians and residents,” said RCMP spokesman Const. Amron Christensen in a release.

Officers blocked traffic on Chemainus Road for about half an hour as they tried to calm and capture the emu, while Coastal Animal Control was called to the scene.

“The emu was quick to agitate and was aggressive towards officers,” said Christensen.

Police consulted animal control and decided using a Taser was “the best course of action to gain control of the agitated animal.”

Officers Tasered the bird and it was captured and taken to a nearby farm at the owner’s request.

“The emu appeared to be uninjured” by the jolt, he said.

“We are pleased that officers were able to maintain public safety while using as little force as necessary towards the aggressive emu,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Swain.

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