Petersburgh

A wandering six-foot-tall emu named Charles is back home safe and sound at the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary in Rensselaer County.

After spending two nights in the woods when he he escaped through a gate accidentally left open Tuesday, the charming flightless bird was reunited with paradise owner Pete Dubacher and his family early Friday morning at a neighbor's back yard about a mile away.

"(The call came) at about 6:30 in the morning from a woman who told us that Charles was in her back yard, hanging out with her chickens," said Dubacher. "When we got there, she was feeding him some dog food, and he liked that."

Dubacher's daughter, Liz, then walked the emu into the back seat of her car, and everyone went home.

"He had his adventure and he's fine," Dubacher said. The bird had to have slept on the ground two nights in woods, but apparently never encountered anything that wanted to tackle a sleeping 130-pound ratite.

Dubacher said he was getting phone calls from people who believed they saw Charles, with calls from as far away as Syracuse and the Adirondacks.

"I am touched over the level of concern that people had for Charles," he said. "He is a good bird."

Charles has lived at the not-for-profit bird sanctuary for about five years, since he was brought there by an owner who could no longer keep the animal. He is about 20 years old, which would make him middle-aged in emu years.

Dubacher has run the 20-acre sanctuary since 1972 to and relies on donations to help support it.

There are currently about 1,000 birds of various types at the center, which goes through about a ton of bird food a week.

The center has earned a national conservation award from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and letters of praise from former President Bill Clinton and former Gov. George Pataki.